Aerospace and car manufacturing companies Airbus and Renault Group said they signed a research and development agreement on hybrid-electric aircraft electrification work.
It will improve their respective product ranges. Renault said engineering teams will join forces. The partnership will help Airbus mature technologies associated with hybrid-electric aircraft. This was due to be detailed at an Airbus Summit at the end of November.
The cooperation agreement will cover energy management optimisation and battery weight improvement. It will look for the best pathways to move from current cell chemistries (advanced lithium-ion) to all solid-state designs, Renault said. They could double the energy density of batteries in the 2030 timeframe.
The joint work will also study the full lifecycle of future batteries, from production to recyclability. This will prepare their industrialisation.
Gilles Le Borgne, EVP of Engineering, Renault Group, said: “For the first time, two European leaders from different industries are sharing engineering knowledge to shape the future of hybrid-electric aircraft.”