Our Next Energy (ONE) already said out loud that it does not believe in NMC. The chemistry mixes nickel and cobalt, which would make the cells that use it prone to thermal runaways, which the average Joe knows simply as fires. In a new video, the battery startup reinforced that, presented Aries Grid, and teased Tesla by showing a video of a Model Y in flames. Too bad that this specific event was not due to NMC or the high-voltage battery pack.
You will probably remember that Jamil Jutha had to escape from this car by kicking the window on May 20, 2022. At the time, he was driving toward Mountain Highway in Vancouver when his eight-month EV shut down. All electronic components stopped working, including the doors and windows, trapping him inside the car. Jutha did not know the manual release in his car, and was very likely not told about them at Tesla – which explains his desperate escape.
After Transport Canada examined the battery electric vehicle (BEV), it determined that the battery pack had nothing to do with the fire. When I wrote about the situation, the Canadian transportation department had yet to point to a cause, but the high-voltage accumulator was not involved because it was intact. Although that was probably the best video available for ONE to use as an example of BEV fires, it had nothing to do with the battery pack.
The battery startup may claim that this was just for illustrative purposes, which is more than fair. Apart from that, we have seen so many other episodes of fires involving BEVs in general and Teslas in particular that this blunder will not invalidate the argument. In fact, there have also been fires with lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery packs as well – most of them with BYD cars. The Chinese company has never explained what caused these blazes.
Photo: ONE
In its video, ONE states that LFP battery packs have been extensively tested so that they would never present the same issues. It also said its Aries battery packs will allow it to explore battery energy storage systems (BESS) that will be called Aries Grid. The video suggests the first one to enter operation will be in Jackson County, West Virginia. ONE's BESS will store energy from a solar energy microgrid to "power a new manufacturing hub."
ONE talked more about this in March. Berkshire Hathaway Energy (BTE) Renewables is developing the site. The first company to get installed there will be Precision Castparts Corp. (PCC), a company that will melt titanium with renewable energy to create components for the aerospace industry. Berkshire Hathaway is the company that Warren Buffett runs. The Oracle of Omaha is also a BYD investor. Considering the Chinese company is also in the BESS business, the choice for ONE is quite representative. Either Buffett is trying to diversify or he wants to seize all Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) opportunities.
It is curious that ONE uses Aries battery packs instead of individual LFP cells to make its BESS. That would probably increase energy density and reduce costs. On the other hand, each battery pack already has its cooling system. Should anything go wrong with any pack, replacing just the defective component is probably easier than dealing with the entire BESS.
Photo: ONE
Ultimately, the deal is that ONE is going after all the business opportunities that making LFP cells in the US will offer. With Ford considering suspending the LFP factory it planned to have in the country, the battery startup may become a crucial supplier complying with the IRA requirements. Any company willing to have the full tax credit for its BEVs will have the company in mind.
In the video, ONE also talked about the Gemini, its hybrid battery pack. Instead of having only LFP cells, it also has anode-free batteries that will help it extend its range to 600 miles. The battery startup did not reveal exactly what this chemistry is, but saying it is anode-free means it is a lithium metal cell. LFP will bear the brunt of charging and powering the motors, while the anode-free batteries will work solely as a power reserve.
Photo: ONE
It would be great if ONE disclosed the first automaker to adopt the Gemini battery pack. However, that should only happen when the involved company releases the vehicle powered by them. After developing an iX prototype with the new solution, BMW is the strongest candidate. Sadly, neither company talked about how convincing or disappointing this prototype was. It may be the case that it is still under evaluation, which would explain the crickets we hear instead of BMW and ONE.
As close to the chest as the battery startup keeps some of the news involving it, we have to say it is frequently sharing promising information. If it had not teased Tesla about NMC cells with fire footage in which they played no role, it would have presented a perfect record. We just have to watch if that also applies to its first commercial products.
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