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Batteries have so far been the weak point in the introduction of air cabs. This is now changing. Ganfeng Lithium, one of the world's largest lithium producers, has started producing batteries for Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing, or eVTOL for short.

This is a "semi-solid battery" in which the electrolyte is neither completely liquid nor completely solid, as in a real solid-state battery, as the manufacturer itself announced in a press release. Nevertheless, prototypes of this battery, which were already tested in December last year, have amazing performance values. They reportedly achieve an energy density of up to 320 Wh per kilogram and support continuous charging at 2C and discharging at 5C. They achieve more than 1000 charging cycles.

This is the first time that Ganfeng Lithium has developed a semi-solid state battery that could be well suited for use in the low altitude economy, say insiders.

Specially Designed for eVTOLs

The lithium giant has developed this new battery especially for use in the air together with the Chinese eVTOL manufacturer Aerofugia. For the first test flights, it has been installed in an AE200-100 aircraft. The battery complies with safety standard GB 38031 and "thus meets the comprehensive requirements of manned eVTOL aircraft in terms of low weight, high performance and high safety", according to the press release from Ganfeng Lithium.

If the high performance of this new type of lithium battery can be validated in further tests, it would be a technological breakthrough that could accelerate the commercialization of the low-altitude economy in China.

Low-Altitude Economy As Part of the Five-Year Plan

The Chinese government has made the development of this new industry a priority of its next five-year plan, which is currently being voted on at this year's session of the National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing. This means that China's parliament will officially confirm the planning authorities' specifications so that they can then be implemented in the provinces.

The expansion of a flight network for manned and unmanned drones is already part of the local government programs of more than 30 Chinese provinces and cities. Pilot projects are underway in places such as Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Chengdu and Chongqing.

Shanghai is considering building an industrial park for companies in the low-altitude economy and there are also plans to do so in Zhuhai. In Guangzhou, the first factory for the mass production of eVTOLs has already started producing small series. The factory of the manufacturer XPeng AeroHT in the Huangpu district is initially designed for an annual capacity of 5,000, and later 10,000 aircraft per year.

Commercialization of eVTOL Feasible in the Medium Term

The fact that a lithium manufacturer is now also starting to produce batteries for eVTOL is a sign that many Chinese companies see great growth opportunities in this area and want to become part of the newly emerging supply chains. At Ganfeng Lithium, the subsidiary Zhejiang Fengli is responsible for this new line of business.

By 2025, the total market volume of the low-altitude economy in the People's Republic will have reached 1.5 trillion yuan, or around 220 billion dollars. According to a forecast by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration, this market could grow to around 3.5 trillion yuan by 2035, or the equivalent of 510 billion dollars.

Analysts see the first concrete areas for the commercialization of eVTOL in China in tourism, for sightseeing flights, in shuttle traffic from the conurbations of major cities to the airports, or as unmanned cargo drones, the first of which are already in regular use. (se)

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