Dusseldorf, Frankfurt Manufacturers of batteries for electric cars have discovered a potential new market for themselves: civil aviation. The Swedish company Northvolt, together with its Californian subsidiary Cuberg, has developed battery technology that is said to reduce the price per mile flown more than fivefold. This was announced by the management of both companies to the Handelsblatt.
“If you can cover a distance that costs 1,000 euros by helicopter today for 200 euros by air taxi, you’re in a very competitive area,” says Northvolt CEO Peter Carlsson. This is exactly what his company is working on. Northvolt’s largest shareholders include the Volkswagen Group and Goldman Sachs.
Cuberg is currently looking for a factory from which the company wants to produce batteries with a production capacity of several hundred megawatts from 2026. “We could then serve the first customers in 2027,” says Richard Wang, founder and head of the Northvolt subsidiary. Approval from the aviation authorities takes the longest.
CATL and Amprius have already announced high-performance batteries
Northvolt and Cuberg aren’t the only battery companies currently working on super batteries for aviation. At the auto show in Shanghai in mid-April, the world’s largest battery cell manufacturer, CATL, presented a solid-state battery that could be used to power electric aircraft.
Shortly before that, the US company Amprius Technologies had announced the production of battery cells with an energy density of 500 watt hours per kilogram. Today’s high-performance batteries in cars achieve about half of this performance.
>> Read also: CATL and Amprius – is the dream of electric flight getting closer?
For aviation, the energy density of a battery is by far the most important indicator. Because every kilogram of battery weight cannot be used for passengers or transported cargo. According to Wang, Cuberg batteries are already being developed to have an energy density of 400 watt hours per kilogram.
The manager explains that the aim is to reach 450 watt hours by the time production starts on a larger scale. Then you can compete with the batteries from CATL or Amprius.
The Cuberg battery is an evolution of the popular lithium-ion pouch batteries found in many electric cars today. What makes the difference: In order to achieve a higher energy density, Cuberg uses a lighter metal for the anode than the graphite commonly used today. This also changes the composition of the electrolytes used.
Thanks to its high energy density, the battery can be used in aircraft.
(Photo: Cuberg)
Applications for the new batteries should primarily be air taxis, but also electrically operated propeller planes for four to nine people, which could fly up to 400 kilometers. With a hybrid aircraft that runs not only on a battery pack but also on conventional fuel, significantly greater distances are possible for up to 40 passengers, explains Wang,
The Cuberg boss speaks of a “renaissance for all the small regional airports in the world”. It has secured several major customers for both ground and flight testing and hopes to announce names shortly, he explains.
Northvolt subsidiary Cuberg: First customer agreement concluded with racing car manufacturer
Northvolt bought the Californian start-up Cuberg in 2021 to advance work on next-generation battery cells. Most of the employees at the technology spin-off from the renowned Stanford University used to work for air taxi companies, says founder Wang. “We have the industry know-how right here with us.”
However, the battery can also be used in racing or high-performance sports cars. Cuberg has just signed a contract with a customer in this area, but according to Wang it is too early to name the customer. Only this much: “It is a promising market for us.”
“We could then serve the first customers in 2027.”
(Photo: Cuberg)
Opinions differ in the aviation industry when it comes to battery-powered aircraft. Some refer to the high weight of the batteries. Nico Buchholz, Chief Commercial Officer of the aircraft manufacturer Deutsche Aircraft (Dornier), says that synthetically produced kerosene, so-called SAF, has a 24 times higher power density at a comparable weight than the battery generation now announced by CATL.
The aviation expert sees progress in battery technology, but in the medium term electric aircraft will not help aviation to become climate-neutral as quickly as possible. The technology is out of the question for long-haul jets, which currently burn more than 95 percent of the kerosene. The European aircraft manufacturer Airbus, for example, is therefore relying on hydrogen as an alternative to fossil fuels such as kerosene.
Regional airports are preparing for electric planes
Others certainly see a market for battery-powered aircraft, especially in the regional area. With the Virus SW 128 from the Slovenian manufacturer Pipistrel, there is already an electric aircraft with approval from the European aviation authority EASA. The small aircraft is used, for example, in pilot training.
At the same time, more and more regional airports in Germany are relying on the battery. The airport in Kiel, for example, is to be equipped with photovoltaic systems so that aircraft can be refueled with green electricity. There are similar plans in Essen and elsewhere.
Whether the battery drive will prevail in regional aviation is an open question. The first smaller-scale electrification projects have already been put on hold again. The Italian aircraft designer Tecnam announced this summer that the launch of its nine-seat electric aircraft “P-Volt”, planned for 2026, would be postponed indefinitely. The time for the commercialization of electric flight is not yet ripe with the currently available technologies.
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