Our Next Energy (ONE), a company based in Michigan, has partnered up with BMW to preview the bleeding edge in traction battery technology. Once installed, the pack extends the range of the stock BMW iX SUV by nearly 75%, Carscoops reports.
The standard range is WLTP-rated at 560 (348 miles). The new battery pack increases it to 979 km (608 miles). The company emphasizes that both measurements were made according to the strict and realistic WLTP standard.
ONE’s battery technology involves what the company describes as ‘dual chemistry’. It comprises both lithium-ferro-phosphate power cells for casual daily driving and anode-free cells for the occasional long trip. The latter cell type contains 20% less graphite than the conventional lithium-ion cells and 60% less nickel and cobalt.
A number of tests have already confirmed the viability of the dual-chemistry approach. Now, the company is thinking about commercializing it invention and implementing it in production cars. It is also actively looking into improving the efficiency of DC-DC converters used today and fine-tuning the battery management algorithms.
BMW admitted it was happy with the partnership and anxious to see the next results.