Airbus, Renault sign deal for research on electrification

Airbus and Renault Group have signed a research and development agreement which aims at enhancing synergies to accelerate both companies' electrification roadmaps and improving their range of products.

"This partnership will help Airbus mature technologies associated with future hybrid-electric aircraft," says an official release.

The engineering teams of Airbus and Renault will join forces to mature technologies related to energy storage, which remains one of the main roadblocks for the development of long-range electric vehicles. "The cooperation agreement will notably cover technology bricks related to energy management optimisation and battery weight improvement, and will look for the best pathways to move from current cell chemistries (advanced lithium-ion) to all solid-state designs which could double the energy density of batteries in the 2030 timeframe."

The joint work will also study the full lifecycle of future batteries from production to recyclability in order to prepare the industrialisation of these future battery designs while assessing their carbon footprint across their entire lifecycle, the release added.

"For the first time, two European leaders from different industries are sharing engineering knowledge to shape the future of hybrid-electric aircraft," says Gilles Le Borgne, EVP, Engineering, Renault Group. "Aviation is an extremely demanding field in terms of both safety and energy consumption, and so is the car industry. At Renault Group, our 10 years of experience in the electric vehicle value chain gives us some of the strongest feedback from the field and expertise in the performance of battery management systems. Driven by the same ambition to innovate and reduce the carbon footprint, our engineering teams are exchanging with those of Airbus to converge transversal technologies that will enable both hybrid aircraft to be operated and the vehicles of tomorrow to be developed."

Sabine Klauke, Chief Technical Officer, Airbus adds: "This cross-industry partnership with Renault Group will help us mature the next generation of batteries as part of Airbus' electrification roadmap. Reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050 is a unique challenge that requires cooperation across sectors. Bringing together Renault Group's experience in electric vehicles with our own track record in electric flight demonstrators will allow us to accelerate the development of the disruptive technologies required for future hybrid aircraft architectures in the 2030s and beyond. It will also foster the emergence of common technical and regulatory standards in support of the clean mobility solutions needed to achieve our climate targets."

Airbus and Renault Group's cooperation on electrification will play an important role in bringing change to the transport landscape, successfully contributing to the ambition of net-zero emissions by 2050 of both the automotive and the aviation sector, the release added.