California-based lithium-ion battery manufacturer Amprius Technologies has shipped SiMaxx, A-Sample EV Cells to the United States Advanced Battery Consortium LLC (USABC), whose mission is to develop advanced battery cell and system technologies to meet next-generation performance and cost goals for EVs. The A-Sample EV cells can charge to 90% of their rated energy in just 15 minutes, exceeding the USABC target of 80% within the same timeframe. These cells are designed to address some of the most challenging issues experienced by EV users, such as range anxiety and the need for shorter charging times.
Amprius’ own internal testing of the SiMaxx A-Sample EV cell has shown exceptional performance, achieving a specific energy of 360 Wh/kg at the beginning of life—surpassing the USABC program target of 275 Wh/kg at end of life—while delivering a power density of 1200 W/kg. This breakthrough could result in a significant increase in range compared to most commercial EV batteries available today. Based on initial results, Amprius believes it is making significant strides towards achieving its goal of 1000 cycles.
Amprius has held technical engagements with multiple automotive OEMs and has had a long-standing collaboration with USABC. Delivered on schedule in September, the A-Sample EV cells shipment is the final milestone in the $3M USABC technology development contract awarded to Amprius in May 2022 to create a low-cost, fast-charge silicon nanowire battery. Amprius believes this achievement paves the way for additional sampling and evaluation by automotive manufacturers.
“We look forward to USABC validation of the A-sample cell performance towards showcasing the unique advantages of Amprius cells in electric vehicles. This is another important battery technology development milestone at Amprius after we successfully launched high-performance silicon anode battery business in aviation and light vehicle markets. We believe our batteries are well-positioned to support all electric mobility markets. With their superior energy and power performance, fast charging, wide operating temperature range, and safety features, Amprius is continuing to transform the EV sector and other electric mobility segments as we scale toward high-volume manufacturing.”
Dr. Kang Sun, CEO of Amprius Technologies
