American startup claims 750-mile range with next-gen batteries

Detroit-based startup Our Next Energy (ONE) has claimed a 750-mile range on a Tesla Model S thanks to a next-generation battery.

The company conducted road tests of its new prototype batteries earlier this week and reported a 752-mile range before recharging.

The test was carried out in across Michigan in late December, with the Model S travelling at an average speed of 55 miles per hour, ONE said. The company said it chose the Tesla model because it had a “fairly high efficiency and a fairly large battery pack” which provided enough space to fit ONE’s battery.

ONE hopes to produce batteries capable of similar ranges by late 2023, with the company also focused on developing an advanced long-range battery that uses safer and more sustainable materials, while packing more energy into a smaller, less expensive package.

Mujeeb Ijaz, ONE’s founder and chief executive and former senior executive at Apple and A123 Systems, said: “We plan to build (batteries) in North America, and believe it can be done economically. We want to eliminate both nickel and cobalt, but we don’t want to give up energy density. We aim to re-invent battery chemistry as well as the cell architecture” in order to provide at least 750 miles of range between charges.

“If you put that much energy on board, you are ready for anything the customer asks – a round trip from Detroit to Chicago, or towing a trailer.”