Aviation Career Changer Builds Powerful Batteries for China's Flying Taxis

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Batteries have so far been the weak point in the introduction of air taxis. That is now changing. Ganfeng Lithium, one of the largest lithium producers on earth, has started producing batteries for Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing, or eVTOL for short.

This is a "semi-solid battery" in which the electrolyte is neither completely liquid nor entirely solid, as in a true solid-state battery, as the manufacturer itself announced in a press release. Nevertheless, prototypes of this battery, which were already tested in December of last year, have shown remarkable performance. They allegedly achieve an energy density of up to 320 Wh per kilogram and support continuous charging at 2C as well as discharging at 5C. They achieve more than 1000 charging cycles.

With this, Ganfeng Lithium has developed a "semi-solid state" battery for the first time, which could be well-suited for use in the "low altitude economy," insiders say.

Specifically designed for eVTOLs

The lithium giant has developed this new battery specifically for use in aviation together with the Chinese eVTOL manufacturer Aerofugia. For the initial test flights, it was installed in an aircraft of the AE200-100 type. The battery meets the GB 38031 safety standard and "thus the comprehensive requirements of manned eVTOL aircraft in terms of low weight, high performance, and high safety," according to the press release from Ganfeng Lithium.

If the high performance of this new type of lithium battery can be validated in further tests, it would be a technological breakthrough that could accelerate the commercialisation of the low-altitude economy in China.

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Low-altitude economy as part of the five-year plan

The Chinese government has declared the development of this new industry as a focus of its next five-year plan, which is currently being finalized at this year's session of the National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing. This means that China's parliament officially approves the planning authorities' guidelines so they can subsequently be implemented in the provinces.

The expansion of a flight network for manned and unmanned drones is already included in the local government programs of more than 30 Chinese provinces and cities. Pilot projects are underway in places like Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Chengdu, and Chongqing.

Shanghai is considering establishing an industrial park for companies in the low-altitude economy, and there are similar plans in Zhuhai. In Guangzhou, the first factory for the mass production of eVTOLs has already started producing small series. The plant of the manufacturer XPeng AeroHT in the Huangpu district is initially designed for an annual capacity of 5,000, and later 10,000, aircraft per year.

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Commercialisation of eVTOL achievable in the medium term

When a lithium manufacturer now also starts producing batteries for eVTOLs, it is a sign that many Chinese companies see great growth opportunities in this area and want to become part of the emerging supply chains. At Ganfeng Lithium, the subsidiary Zhejiang Fengli is responsible for this new business segment.

In 2025, the total market volume of the low-altitude economy in the People's Republic reached 1.5 trillion yuan, equivalent to approximately 187 billion euros (approx. 215 billion USD). By 2035, this market could grow to around 3.5 trillion yuan, equivalent to 437 billion euros (approx. 503 billion USD), according to a forecast by the Chinese Civil Aviation Administration.

Analysts in China see the first specific areas for the commercialisation of eVTOLs, among other things, in tourism for sightseeing flights, shuttle traffic from metropolitan areas of major cities to airports, or as unmanned cargo drones, some of which are already operating regularly. (se)