(Reuters) – Our Next Energy, the Michigan-based electric vehicle battery startup, announced that its new Aries II battery pack can achieve a range of 350 miles (565 km) between charges, all while avoiding the use of expensive materials like nickel and cobalt.
ONE’s Aries II cells utilize cathodes made of lithium iron phosphate. Compared to cathodes that use nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM), LFP cells are not only less expensive, but also safer and more sustainable. However, they typically provide much less range.
During a media briefing on Tuesday, ONE Founder and CEO Mujeeb Ijaz revealed that the Aries II cells have significantly narrowed the performance gap between LFP and NCM.
Pilot production of the Aries II packs is scheduled to begin late next year at ONE’s new factory located in Van Buren Township, southeastern Michigan.
Ijaz also discussed the company’s dual-chemistry Gemini pack, which is expected to increase EV range to 600 miles (965 km) and go into production in 2025-2026.
Gemini combines LFP cells, similar to those used in the Aries pack, with higher-energy cells that serve as a range extender as the charge depletes. These range-extender cells use cathodes without cobalt and 75% less nickel, along with lithium metal anodes that don’t use graphite.
Ijaz stated that the cost target for the Gemini pack is $50 per kilowatt-hour at the pack level, which is less than half the typical cost of NCM packs available today.
This cost target would place the price of a 185kWh Gemini pack at around $9,250. Current battery packs can range from $12,000 to $20,000 in price, depending on factors such as battery size, weight, chemistry, and output.
Reporting by Paul Lienert in Detroit; editing by Jonathan Oatis
Credit: The Star : Tech Feed
