Our Next Energy develops EV battery with 608-mile range for BMW iX

Lithium iron phosphate battery supplier Our Next Energy says its dual-chemistry battery has reached 608 miles of range on a single charge in the electric BMW iX.

The battery was assessed through the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure, the European standard for determining EV range.

The long-range, dual-chemistry battery pack, called Gemini, gave the iX a significant boost from its EPA-estimated range of about 300 miles.

"That's really impressive without increasing the physical size of the battery pack or adding weight to it," Sam Abuelsamid, principal research analyst at Guidehouse Insights, told Automotive News. "It's an important next step in the process of showing the industry what they can do."

Concerns about EV range have been a barrier to adoption. Most EVs can drive 200 to 300 miles on a full charge, according to J.D. Power, but a few high-end models exceed 500 miles.

Our Next Energy, known as ONE, will refine the battery to prepare for commercialization, which is planned for 2026, it said in a statement Thursday.

ONE, of Novi, Mich., plans to improve the efficiency of the battery's converter, enhance control algorithms to optimize the use of the range extender and further validate and develop the battery cell.

The Gemini architecture contains two battery cell types with different chemistries. A lithium iron phosphate cell will provide about 150 miles of range, which meets the demands for 99 percent of daily trips, ONE says. The second one is an energy-dense anode-free cell that provides 450 more miles of range. Packed together, the cells fit in the typical 300- to 400-liter space for battery packs in a vehicle.

The company, which is developing batteries for EVs and energy storage systems, told Automotive News in May that it was aiming for a 600-mile range.

ONE plans to begin producing batteries for commercial vehicles and battery storage late next year at its plant in Van Buren Township, Mich. Then the company expects to launch the 350-mile-range Aries II for passenger vehicles in 2025, followed by the Gemini in 2026.

ONE announced the technology breakthrough days after it laid off 128 employees — a quarter of its work force — in "response to market conditions."

Automakers have been delaying EV launches and slowing investments as they aim to balance supply and demand.

EV registrations are increasing: They made up 7.4 percent of the U.S. light-vehicle market through the third quarter, according to Experian, up from 5.2 percent a year earlier. But the pace of growth is cooling, as EV registrations made up 7.1 percent of the market in January. That's modest growth compared with 2021 to 2022, when EV share shot up from 3.1 percent to 5.6 percent.