Our Next Energy (ONE), a battery technology company based in Michigan, has just unveiled a proof-of-concept battery that allows an electric vehicle to travel up to 752 miles per charge. The vehicle, called Gemini 001, is a Tesla Model S retrofitted with an experimental pack that was put through a road test across Michigan in late Dec. 2021 with an average speed of 55 mph. At that velocity, the sedan was able to travel 882 miles. The experimental battery is 203.7 kWh and possesses an energy density of 416 Wh/L.
“We want to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles by eliminating range anxiety, which holds back most consumers today,” said Mujeeb Ijaz, Founder, and CEO of ONE. “We are now focused on evolving this proof-of-concept battery into a new product called Gemini, which will enable long-distance trips on a single charge while improving cost and safety using sustainable materials.”
ONE notes that today’s battery-electric vehicles have a limited range. Even the cars that go the farthest don’t have the surplus energy to overcome factors like high-speed driving, extreme weather, mountainous terrain, and towing in real-world conditions. According to the company, these elements can lead to a range loss of over 35 percent, which in turn results in range anxiety and/or inconvenience during long drives. “The ONE Gemini battery aims to eliminate range as a barrier to electric vehicle adoption by doubling the available energy on board in the same package and space,” noted Ijaz.
Adding more charging stations to solve the range issues isn’t the solution, according to ONE. Why? Because it will add extra time to your trip, making it less convenient. This includes waiting in long lines, not charging as quickly as advertised, being limited to a partial charge, and stopping every 150 miles or so. The Gemini battery aims to avoid this altogether by offering a pack that can provide plenty of range for all consumers so that they can make an EV their only vehicle. ONE recently received a major investment from BMW Group via its BMW i Ventures division. It aims to showcase a production-ready prototype of the Gemini battery in 2023.
The Gemini is not ONE’s only battery pack. It also has the Aries, which promises higher system-level density thanks to its Structural Cell-to-Pack architecture. This battery makes use of safe and sustainable cathode chemistry that avoids thermal runaway. It also features an integrated BMS with triple redundancy for current measurement and overcharge protection, and can handle 3,000 cycles at full depth discharge for its intended service life. The Aries is a 79-kWh pack that weighs around 550 kg or 1,212 pounds and has a cell-to-pack volume of 76 percent. Its peak power is 200 kW and can sustain 79 kW of continuous power.
Both the Aries and Gemini batteries are engineered with chemistries that emphasize safety and reliability. Additionally, ONE makes extensive use of sustainable raw materials sourced from conflict-free supply chains. The company also ensures that their packs are low-cost to make them more accessible. The Aries pack will go into production in late 2022, one year before the production prototype of the Gemini battery debuts.
