Airbus said it had a research and development agreement with automaker Groupe Renault under which the two companies plan to work together to provide more of their products through certain joint efforts between the aviation and automotive industries. electricity.
Airbus said the partnership with Renault, which has years of experience developing and manufacturing hybrid and electric vehicles, will help it develop hybrid technology for future aircraft.
As part of the agreement, the engineering teams of Airbus and Renault “will join forces to develop mature technologies related to energy storage, which remains one of the main obstacles to the development of long-range electric vehicles,” Airbus said.
The collaboration between the two companies is expected to focus in part on improving energy management and battery weight, and finding the best way to go beyond today’s lithium-ion battery designs. Future generations of batteries with so-called solid-state structures “could double the energy density of batteries within the 2030 time frame,” Airbus said.
The companies also plan to study the potential life cycle of future batteries, including the environmental impact of their production, service life and recycling potential.
“For the first time, two European leaders from different industries are sharing engineering knowledge to shape the future of hybrid-electric aircraft,” said Gilles Le Borgne, executive vice president of Engineering at Groupe Renault. Years of experience has given us some of the strongest feedback and expertise in battery management system performance from the field.”
“This cross-industry partnership with Groupe Renault will help us mature the next generation of batteries as part of Airbus’ electrification roadmap,” said Airbus Chief Technology Officer Sabine Klauke. “Achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 is an important This is a unique challenge that requires collaboration across sectors, starting today.”