Beyond the promises of ultra-fast charging, the autonomy of electric vehicles is a very important variable in promoting their adoption. This is why many manufacturers are investing in the development of increasingly efficient batteries which promise as many kilometers in the bank, or even more than vehicles with internal combustion engines. It is with this in mind that BMW has teamed up with the American company Our Next Energy (ONE) to conduct range tests.
Posted at 5:45 p.m.
Named Gemini, the battery developed by ONE employs dual chemistry technology using two types of cells. One part of the battery uses less energy-dense cells (lithium-iron-phosphate) while the other can store more energy. This decreases, according to the joint press release of the two companies, by 20% the use of lithium in their composition and by 60% that of nickel and cobalt.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY BMW
2023 BMW iX
In interview with Car & Driver, CEO of ONE, Mujeeb Ijaz, specifies that 99% of the time the less energy dense cells will be used to ensure the autonomy of the vehicle. Outside this range, it is the denser cells that will come into operation during a more sustained demand for energy, which would reduce the deterioration of the other portion of the battery.
ONE estimates that on board the new iX electric SUV, this new battery could push its range to 965 km. That’s almost double the mileage displayed on the dash of the xDrive50 version of the model (521km) when fully charged.
To support the development of this new generation of batteries, BMW participated in the injection of 65 million US in the project with other investors. Testing on a BMW iX will begin at the end of this year.