EC Power, inventor of thermal modulation cell technology, announces it has been awarded an AFWERX Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase II contract to develop the second generation FastLion lithium-ion cell to deliver extreme fast charging capability to electrified aircraft and high-performance ground vehicles.

"EC Power's FastLion cell technology is transformational for the battery industry. Combining it with the Agility Prime vision for advanced air mobility, we are going to deliver fast-charging batteries that lead the market in energy density, without sacrificing an ounce of cycle-life" said EC Power's Head of Business Development, Eric Rountree.

Prof. Chris Rahn, who is managing the Penn State effort had this to say about the project: "Based on what we know now, it is unlikely we will see battery technology that can simultaneously deliver the power and energy needed to keep aircraft in flight for an entire rush hour period within this decade. Therefore, fast charging technologies for opportunity charging during passenger swaps hold the key to practical commercialisation of urban air taxis. Without innovative solutions in the fast-charging space, the economics will not be there; but we believe we can deliver in this area."

EC Power's first generation FastLion battery demonstrated a temperature independent 5-minute fast charge equivalent to refueling a 50-mile eVTOL aircraft trip and proved capable of over 3,500 trips under this charging load. Ongoing efforts are focused on increasing the energy density while retaining this impressive rate and cycling performance.

EC Power has partnered with the Division of Support Equipment and Vehicles (SE&V) within AFPEO Agile Combat Support on the development of FastLion batteries. "I have devoted my career to ensuring that the U.S. Air Force had top of the line support equipment. Fully electrified equipment is the new frontier we must master, and our logistics demand the capability for a fast recharge." said Nhat Nguyen, the Modernisation Engineering Chief for SE&V. Tahrea Grant, the Chief Engineer for SE&V commented "It can only be considered appropriate that the support vehicles for the Air Force one day include flying cars. We fully support the Agility Prime vision and will be doing our part to introduce this technology in practical ways as it nears TRL 9."