The low-altitude economy, a strategic emerging industry, is gaining intense global competition as a typical representative of new productive forces. eVTOLs have become a focal point for various tech companies due to their high safety, low cost, low noise, and intelligent features. According to Morgan Stanley, the market size of the eVTOL industry is projected to reach $35 billion by 2025, grow to $300 billion by 2030, and surpass a trillion dollars by 2040. This indicates immense development potential, highlighting the transformative impact that eVTOLs could have on urban mobility and related sectors.
The rapid growth of the eVTOL industry presents substantial opportunities for both mature and next-generation lithium battery technologies. According to GGII, the global eVTOL lithium battery market is projected to surpass one trillion yuan by 2040. However, the aviation sector imposes more stringent performance requirements on lithium batteries compared to new energy vehicles. Consequently, battery companies are continually advancing in areas such as high energy density, high power output, enhanced safety, low internal resistance, fast charging, and long life. These innovations are crucial for supporting the gradual commercialization of low-altitude flights, ensuring the eVTOL industry can sustain its growth trajectory and meet evolving market demands.
BAK has provided insights into their advancements:
- High Safety: Cylindrical batteries offer excellent structural stability and directional pressure relief capabilities, ensuring optimal safety throughout the battery’s lifecycle.
- High Power: Full-tab technology significantly enhances the discharge performance and wide temperature adaptability of high-power batteries, providing improved performance in battery swapping applications.
- High Energy Density: Cylindrical batteries have always led in the application of advanced chemical materials. BAK, as the first company in China to mass-produce high-nickel silicon-doped batteries, has successfully achieved mass production of high-nickel 8-series and 9-series products, setting a benchmark for high-energy-density batteries in the industry.
- Fast Charging: The full-tab design of cylindrical batteries optimizes electron and thermal pathways, significantly improving fast charging performance.
- Long Cycle Life: Leveraging advanced material formulations, BAK has achieved exceptional battery cycle performance, maintaining industry leadership. Additionally, cylindrical battery packs offer greater flexibility, providing longer-lasting battery life and making distance less of a concern.
BAK’s full-tab cell platform 2170-48B combines high capacity and high power performance, with an energy density exceeding 270Wh/kg, a maximum continuous discharge rate of 8C, and a cycle life of over 1000 cycles. The cell has passed multiple tests, including 130°C thermal chamber, heavy impact, and nail penetration thermal runaway, ensuring flight safety. The full-tab 2170-55B cell has significantly improved energy density and power performance, with an energy density of 300Wh/kg, a maximum continuous discharge rate of 8C at full depth of discharge (DoD), and the ability to charge from 10% to 80% in 10 minutes, making it an optimal choice for all-electric eVTOLs.
Credits to BAK
Additionally, BAK has developed the full-tab 2170-25B cell for hybrid power and emergency backup power systems for eVTOLs. This cell can provide stronger continuous high power output with a maximum continuous discharge rate of 24C at full DoD, charging from 10% to 80% in 7 minutes, and a cycle life of over 5000 cycles. It is suitable for hybrid eVTOLs and serves as the best choice for emergency power systems in extreme conditions.
BAK’s large cylindrical full-tab platform 4680 cell boasts an energy density exceeding 302Wh/kg, and the full-tab 4695 cell exceeds 270Wh/kg. With the support of solid-state technology, large cylindrical batteries are expected to break through 400Wh/kg by 2030. For the low-altitude flight sector, BAK has proactively completed the technology roadmap from small cylindrical to large cylindrical batteries. This roadmap will continue to innovate and optimize across three dimensions—model, structure, and chemical system—to meet the high-energy demands of various applications such as passenger transport, cargo delivery, and law enforcement security.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, along with three other departments, issued the “Green Aviation Manufacturing Development Outline (2023-2035),” which sets a goal to achieve pilot operations of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft by 2025. Through this discussion and exchange, BAK Battery has not only demonstrated its leading position in cylindrical battery technology research and manufacturing but also injected new vitality and direction into the eVTOL industry’s development. As technology continues to advance and market demand grows, BAK will actively respond to the national strategy to promote low-altitude flight development, accelerate breakthroughs in core battery technologies, provide new momentum for aviation electrification, and drive the low-altitude economy industry towards a greener, more efficient, and safer future.
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