Future of Transport: Lithium Metal in Electric Aircraft

It wasn’t so long ago that electric vehicles were nowhere to be seen on our roads. Now, all over Western nations, you’ll see electric vehicles wherever you go – especially in countries like Norway and Iceland, where the EV uptake rates are 80% and 40% respectively.

And due to advancements in lithium metal batteries, we could also see electric aircrafts dominate our skies in the near future.

While lithium batteries may currently be reserved for miniature aircrafts like drones and model planes, there’s a good chance that electric aircrafts are the future of aviation.

Here, Lithium Metal Australia outlines the future of transport with electric aircrafts:

Will electric aircrafts be the future of aviation?

In short, yes. As the world acknowledges the importance of slowing down climate change and switches to zero-emission technologies, electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircrafts will slowly replace traditional jet fuel-operated planes – just as electric vehicles are replacing combustion engine vehicles.

The longest hybrid-electric aircraft flight record was broken just recently by Eco Caravan’s Electric EEL – completing a 12-hour flight from California to Wisconsin. This is a record surely to be broken again soon as lithium metal battery technology is improved and electric aircrafts become more common.

The role of lithium metal in electric aircrafts

Lithium metal is sure to play a huge role in the development of electric aircrafts. Here’s why:

• Lithium metal batteries are far more energy-dense than lithium-ion ones

A solid-state lithium metal battery is almost twice as energy dense as a solvent-based lithium-ion battery. This means twice the energy can be stored in a battery the same size. These may mean we see a huge breakthrough in electric aircraft technology in the coming years, as weight reduction plays a significant role in the viability and safety of aircrafts.

• Lithium metal batteries can cut charging times

Faster charging is another promising probability of lithium metal batteries, with some companies such as QuantumScape stating that their lithium metal batteries can achieve an 80% charge in just 15 minutes, as opposed to 40 minutes which is a standard fast-charge for an EV. As aircrafts frequently need to be refuelled in between commercial flights, electric aircrafts would need to be able to be quickly recharged if they were to present a viable alternative to jet fuel aircrafts.

The benefits of electric aircrafts

Electric aircrafts could offer a range of benefits in the near future, such as:

• Reducing CO2 emissions in the aviation industry, which produces 2.5% of the world’s global emissions.
• Reducing noise pollution
• Making air travel more accessible throughout the world

Can’t wait to take a ride on a big electric plane? Lithium Metal Australia is one of Australia’s leading teams supporting the advancement of electric aviation. We extract lithium metal in a responsible way, with the aim of decarbonisation of the planet. Our processes of lithium extraction are clean and efficient, using the most energy- and cost-efficient process to produce lithium metal – carbothermic reduction. Contact Lithium Metal Australia to learn more about our world-leading lithium metal extraction.

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