A startup claims that its new battery can double a Tesla's range.
Our Next Energy (ONE), a Michigan startup, fitted a 2021 Tesla Model S with its own experimental battery and took the electric car on a road trip across the state in December. The prototype battery completed a 752-mile road trip in the dead of winter without stopping to recharge once, according to the company.
The company said that the average speed of the trip was 55 miles per hour and that the results were validated by a third party using a dynamometer, a device designed to measure the power of an engine.
ONE said the road test set a new industry record and was performed to demonstrate the power of their battery.
"We want to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles by eliminating range anxiety, which holds back most consumers today," the founder and CEO of ONE, Mujeeb Ijaz said. "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."
Driving-range anxiety has been identified as one of the main issues the US faces when it comes to the electrification of transportation. A 2021 study found that one in five EV owners switched back to a gas-powered car because of the hassle of charging their electric car.
ONE's 752-mile battery range would represent about twice the range of current Tesla models and would be well above the new benchmark set by Mercedes EQS — a car that made headlines in November when it beat Tesla in a battery range test, driving 422 miles on a single charge.
ONE said that its project didn't alter the Model S's efficiency and only added a battery with a higher capacity. The startup claims that its battery has an energy capacity and density that is nearly twice that of the original 2021 Model S battery pack.
The company said that it plans to begin production of its first battery pack later this year.
