Michigan-based startup Our Next Energy (ONE) completed the first road test of its Gemini technology. For the test, a 2021 Tesla Model S was retrofitted with a proof-of-concept battery capable of holding almost twice the capacity of Tesla's original battery. As a result, the EV was able to achieve a 752-mile (1,210 km) range on a single charge.
Although EVs have grown in popularity tremendously over the last years, they still have lower adoption compared to their ICE-powered counterparts. And one of the main reasons why drivers don't feel like they're ready to commit to an electric car is range anxiety.
We've heard about it before. One of the industry's solutions to the range problem is to build more charging stations. But that implies stopping way too often and waiting in lines, which is not something anyone is looking toward. And what about the areas where charging infrastructure hasn't caught up with demand yet?
To answer that, businesses are actively working to develop battery packs with higher capacity to allow EVs to run on longer distances. ONE is already on the right track. The company came up with a solution to end range anxiety by designing a new battery that can hold much more energy.
The new tech was recently demonstrated in a Tesla Model S. On December 17th, ONE took the vehicle to test it out on the roads across Michigan. The retrofitted Model S was nicknamed Gemini 001, featuring instead of its original 103 kWh battery, the company's 203.7 kWh Gemini battery.
Even if it packs more energy, the company's battery occupies the same space. The EV drove at an average speed of 55 mph (88 kph), successfully achieving a 752-mile (1,210 km) range without recharging.
"The ONE Gemini™ battery aims to eliminate range as a barrier to electric vehicle adoption by doubling the available energy on board in the same package space," said Mujeeb Ijaz, founder of ONE.
The startup has released a video of the on-road testing. You can take a look and clip down below to see the EV driving across Michigan.
Florina taught herself how to drive in a Daewoo Tico (a rebadged Suzuki Alto kei car) but her first "real car" was a VW Golf. When she’s not writing about cars, drones or aircraft, Florina likes to read anything related to space exploration and take pictures in the middle of nature. Full profile
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