OXIS Energy and Bye Aerospace have begun a 12-month collaborative program announced in late July that seeks to achieve a 50% to 100% increase in flight time from a single charge on Bye Aerospace eAircraft.

OXIS has developed an innovative Lithium Sulfur (Li-S) battery technology that offers significant benefits to aviation markets. Compared to existing Li-ion battery systems technology, the high gravimetric energy density of the OXIS technology – in excess of 500 Wh/kg at 20Ah capacity – offers a two-fold reduction in battery system weight resulting in a significant increase in flight duration.

eFlyer prototype in-flight. Source: Bye Aerospace

At the outset, the program will test OXIS cells and modules against the performance characteristics of existing and soon-to-be-announced Bye Aerospace aircraft. This will produce data that will demonstrate the advantages of the OXIS Li-S technology to the aerospace sector and more specifically, to Bye Aerospace’s future aviation applications.

 OXIS CEO, Huw Hampson-Jones said, “We believe this collaboration will offer Bye Aerospace the confidence that OXIS Li-S systems will deliver the battery technology that meets the demanding performance and quality required to increase the efficiencies of their future electric aircraft. OXIS is focusing its research and development on the transformation of piston and turbo prop aircraft that is required for regional flight transportation. We believe this to be the first phase in the electrification of commercial aircraft and will ultimately form the basis for the electrification of Air Taxis, with the additional requirement for regional aircraft.

The United States has an impressive tradition of aviators who understand the need to experiment and embark on the deployment of new innovative technology, thus effecting a seismic paradigm shift in the powering of aircraft from using lead based fossil fuels to Li-S battery systems that are free of any toxic pollutants. As a consequence of the significant extension of aircraft flight duration, both companies believe this will allow for the widespread adoption of electric aircraft across the skies of the United States.”

eFlyer artist rendering. Source: Bye Aerospace

George E. Bye, CEO of Bye Aerospace, acknowledged the importance of next-generation technologies to help companies such as Bye Aerospace keep up with the revolutionary trends of electric aviation and the resulting demands for more efficient aircraft. “OXIS Energy’s battery technology continues to be an important consideration, and we appreciate the opportunity to collaborate in this way.”

Why it matters: Lithium Sulfur (Li-S) batteries appear to be the future of electrically-propulsed aircraft given its superior energy density and weight reduction potential. The new technology will offer eVTOL and electric aircraft manufacturers greater flexibility in expanding a vehicle’s range, payload capacity, or a combination of both. As energy density improves, we expect electric propulsion aircraft to become a reality for manufacturers and customers across the industry and their stakeholders.