Airbus and Renault Group have signed an R&D agreement to mature technologies associated with next-generation battery systems. Both companies will work together to accelerate their electrification roadmaps.
Sabine Klauke, Chief Technical Officer, Airbus, said, “This cross-industry partnership with Renault Group will help us mature the next generation of batteries as part of Airbus’ electrification roadmap.”
Under the terms of the cooperation agreement, Airbus and Renault will cover technology bricks related to energy management optimisation and battery weight improvement. They will look for the best pathways to move from current cell chemistries (advanced lithium-ion) to all solid-state designs, which could double the energy density of batteries in the 2030 timeframe.
The joint work will also study the full lifecycle of future batteries, from production to recyclability, to prepare the industrialisation of these future battery designs while assessing their carbon footprint across their entire lifecycle.
Klauke said reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050 was a unique challenge that required cooperation across sectors. “Bringing together Renault Group’s experience in electric vehicles with our own track record in electric flight demonstrators will allow us to accelerate the development of the disruptive technologies required for future hybrid aircraft architectures in the 2030s and beyond. It will also foster the emergence of common technical and regulatory standards supporting the clean mobility solutions needed to achieve our climate targets.”
Airbus’ and Renault Group’s engineering teams will join forces as part of this partnership to mature technologies related to energy storage, which remains one of the main roadblocks to developing long-range electric vehicles.
Gilles Le Borgne, EVP, Engineering, Renault Group, said, 'For the first time, two European leaders from different industries are sharing engineering knowledge to shape the future of hybrid-electric aircraft. Aviation is an extremely demanding field in terms of both safety and energy consumption, and so is the car industry.'
“At Renault Group, our ten years of experience in the electric vehicle value chain gives us some of the strongest feedback from the field and expertise in the performance of battery management systems. Driven by the same ambition to innovate and reduce the carbon footprint, our engineering teams are exchanging with those of Airbus to converge transversal technologies that will enable both hybrid aircraft to be operated and the vehicles of tomorrow to be developed,” Le Borgne added.
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