With $30 million in venture funding, including $3.2 million from GM, the company has been working on the technology for seven years. After refining the idea, engineers have finally built the first production prototype with more than 1100 Watt hours per liter (Wh/l) in volumetric density.
The cell was produced on “fully scalable equipment,” suggesting the technology is now ready for high-volume production.
“Our target is to achieve mass production of cells at ~$100/kWh,” said Sakti3 CEO Dr. Ann Marie Sastry. “Our key patents on the technology have been issued, we are up and running on larger tooling, and can now speed up processing.”
The company is initially targeting the consumer electronics market, particularly wearable devices that require small but high-density batteries. A smartwatch outfitted with the cells is expected to get nine hours of usage time, compared to 3.5 hours for a similarly-sized battery of current commercial availability.
Scaling the idea up to vehicles, the startup suggests a Model S outfitted with Sakti3 cells could achieve 480 miles of range rather than 256 miles.
If the $100/kWh goal is achieved, the company could build the 60 kWh battery in the 208-mile Model S for just $6,000. A sub-$10,000 battery that supports a 200-mile range is considered to be the holy grail of the EV industry, allowing companies to make a profit from an all-electric vehicle with a mainstream price tag and a reasonable range.
The company has not disclosed an estimated time-frame for achieving its ambitious goals, or a start date for general production at higher costs.
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