United Airlines invests in EPS to develop battery tech for ground operations with potential for aerospace
CHICAGO - United Airlines in Chicago announced its investment in Electric Power Systems, a company in Logan, Utah producing battery technology that can potentially be used for a broad suite of aerospace applications. Rather than producing battery cells, the company's compatible module technology can be adapted to support a variety of batteries, optimizing performance and safety. The versatility of the technology could allow United to consider EPS's modules for a number of near-term applications, and as part of its longer-term operations that support decarbonization. This is United's second investment in electric battery technology, after sodium-ion battery-maker Natron.
Electric Power Systems aims to provide a whole battery "ecosystem" for aviation, from the packs on aircraft to charging stations on the ground. This in turn is designed to keep costs low and provide rapid charges without degrading the life of the battery. Key to the entire proposition of electric aviation is designing a battery that can store a high amount of energy with as little weight as possible. If a battery is too heavy, it makes an aircraft uneconomic compared to conventional fossil fuel-powered planes.
"We are excited to collaborate with United Airlines Ventures as we continue to advance electric aviation technology," said Nathan Millecam, CEO of Electric Power Systems. "United's investment will enable us to scale our operations and expedite the development of our cutting-edge powertrain solutions. By working together, our aim is to revolutionize air travel and build a more sustainable future for the industry."
United is exploring options to move its pilot training academy, Aviate, away from internal combustion-powered training aircraft to electric ones. EPS's powertrain could serve as the core propulsion system for a family of future electric aircraft concepts, starting with an electric trainer and scaling to larger variants as technology advances.
Additionally, United has more than 12,000 pieces of motorized ground equipment across its operations, of which about one third are currently electric. EPS's battery modules could potentially be deployed in support of several uses, including:
- Charging electric ground equipment
- Charging anticipated future electric aircraft such as electric air taxis
- Electrified auxiliary power unit (APU) start products
- Electrified cold-chain storage product for cargo containers.
