As part of its second annual Elevate Summit, Uber announced that it has entered a partnership with E-One Moli Energy (Moli). Uber Elevate’s battery team intends to purchase battery cells from Moli, which will be used in future propulsion battery pack prototypes for eVTOL developed by Uber’s vehicle partners.
Moli has been leading the way in energy research and development for over four decades, and is an established industry leader in lithium ion battery cells. Moli brings world class engineering talent and experience to the ever changing and complex world of battery development.
As part of its broader Elevate aviation initiative, Uber plans to operate a network of small, electric, aircraft in numerous cities worldwide to enable four-person ridesharing flights in densely populated urban markets. These eVTOL differ from helicopters in that they are orders of magnitude quieter, safer, more affordable, and more environmentally friendly. Uber indends to pave the way for a fully electric system through industry partnerships within the battery space.
Uber will use Moli’s world-class battery cell technology to craft safe, reliable, and scalable battery packs that will power eVTOL of the future. Moli’s R&D roots coupled with Uber’s network and world-class battery engineering team will transform how eVTOL are powered on the Uber network. Moli will work closely with Uber’s battery team, led by Celina Mikolajczak, to develop the battery packs that will power eVTOL.
“E-One Moli is a pioneer in the lithium rechargeable battery industry, and we are constantly looking for ways to innovate in high power cell design and manufacturing,” said Moli’s director of technology, Paul Craig. “We have vast experience across a range of chemistries and applications, and look forward to working with Uber, at the forefront of an emerging industry, to power future eVTOL aircraft.”
“Uber Elevate’s mission is to provide, safe, convenient, and affordable air mobility to everyone. Achieving our goal may be years away, but to achieve it we need to start now, and with batteries you always start with the cells,” said Uber’s director of engineering, Energy Storage Systems, Celina Mikolajczak, “I have admired Moli’s work for almost two decades – over most of my career in batteries – and am pleased that we get to work together on this project.”