Denver, Colorado-based Bye Aerospace and battery developer Oxis Energy are partnering to double the flight time of electric aircraft.
The one-year collaborative research program being run by the companies, which is due to finish in July next year will use the Lithium Sulfur (Li-S) battery technology that Oxis has developed.
According to Oxis, its batteries have a higher energy density compared to existing Li-ion battery systems – in excess of 500Wh/kg at 20Ah capacity. This higher energy density offers a two-fold reduction in battery system weight, resulting in a significant increase in flight duration.
The program will test Oxis cells and modules against the performance characteristics of existing and soon-to-be-announced Bye Aerospace aircraft.
CEO of Oxis, Huw Hampson-Jones said, “We believe this collaboration will offer Bye Aerospace the confidence that OXIS Li-S systems will deliver the battery technology that meets the demanding performance and quality required to increase the efficiencies of their future electric aircraft.
“We are focusing our R&D on the transformation of piston and turbo prop aircraft that is required for regional flight transportation. We believe this to be the first phase in the electrification of commercial aircraft and will ultimately form the basis for the electrification of air taxis, with the additional requirement for regional aircraft.”
“As a consequence of the significant extension of aircraft flight duration, both companies believe this will allow for the widespread adoption of electric aircraft across the skies of the United States,” Hampson-Jone added
George Bye, CEO of Bye Aerospace, said, “Oxis Energy’s battery technology continues to be an important consideration, and we appreciate the opportunity to collaborate in this way.”
Bye Aerospace is developing FAR 23-certified general aviation aircraft, starting with the eFlyer 2 for use as a flight trainer.
