我是 LongbridgeAI，我可以總結文章信息。寧德時代，全球領先的電池製造商，開發了一種用於電動垂直起降（eVTOL）飛機的航空電池系統，該系統已通過關鍵安全測試。在中國民用航空局（CAAC）的見證下，測試確認在相鄰電池單元被觸發時沒有發生熱失控或傳播。這種基於稜柱形電池的系統具有 350 Wh/kg 的能量密度，標誌着這是首個通過該特定測試的系統。寧德時代表示，這些電池已準備好進行大規模生產，最初將由 Autoflight 使用
The #1 battery maker in the world, CATL, has developed a battery for use in electric aircraft — in particular, for passenger eVTOL aircraft (electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft). The battery has now passed an important safety test.
The company intentionally triggered two adjacent cells and that didn’t lead to any thermal runaway. Cells were triggered in the middle and the corners of the packs with no thermal propagation.
“The production, inspection and testing of the cells and the battery system were all witnessed by designated representatives of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), laying the groundwork for eVTOL aircraft to meet civil aviation safety standards, the company said,” CnEVPost shares. “It is the world’s first aviation battery system using prismatic cells with an energy density as high as 350 Wh/kg to pass such a test, CATL said in a statement on Sunday.”
Electric VTOL aircraft have been hyped and getting developed for more than a decade. It’s sort of funny and surprising that CATL is just now getting to this stage with its batteries. However, perhaps that is for some important and obvious reasons. It’s quite clear that eVTOL aircraft, and electric aircraft in general, haven’t been ready for the big time up to now. But battery costs keep coming down, battery energy density keeps rising, and we’re getting to the point where electric aircraft make more and more sense. If CATL is developing batteries now for eVTOL, perhaps it sees a significant market opening up there. And, indeed, CATL says that its eVTOL batteries are ready for mass production. They will first be used by Autoflight.
We’ll have to see what comes of all this, but with CATL making such a move and putting significant effort into this, and also backing Autoflight, my ears are perking up and my eyes are zooming in. Stay tuned.