The Future of Electric Propulsion
Batteries don’t all deteriorate in the same way. Higher usage doesn’t seem to be statistically significant, unlike continuous use of a battery at maximum or minimum end, which can negatively affect it. In this situation, using a state-of-charge buffer can lower degradation rates as it prevents batteries from becoming completely depleted or fully charged (although this means the effective accessible range for the driver is further reduced).
With the huge impact that transportation has on the environment, the societal and governmental move towards electric mobility is a hopeful one. But there are some common doubts about how green electric vehicles actually are. And these doubts focus mainly on the EV batteries and on the cleanliness of the electrical grid.
The most commonly-used batteries in UAVs are lithium-based. Their energy density is higher than it is in nickel-based batteries. But, pound for pound, they’re not as energy dense as gas used in internal combustion engine (ICE) UAVs, so they still cause users some range issues.
Battery life is a constant worry for those who operate UAVs. Whether it’s a large, industrial, and long-distance flier or a small recreational model, the first question when planning a mission is always: how much energy is there and how far can I fly?
Electrical power systems are critical to a UAV’s design and operation. But they don’t operate in a vacuum. Their weight, operating temperature, and efficiency of the power components have a major influence on performance parameters such as flight duration, payload, operating ceiling, and range.
The battery pack is the most expensive component of the entire electric vehicle. According to BloombergNEF, the average cost was $137/kWh at the end of 2020. Although the estimates can vary, averaging 30% of the total cost of the vehicle, even moderate savings to this component would have a huge impact on the overall cost of the car manufacture and price. However, more recent analyses predict that the prices will start going up again due to the rapidly growing demand for EVs.
