BMW will test a long-range battery developed by the company Our Next Energy (ONE) in the iX electric SUV, the company said on Tuesday.
The battery, named Gemini, was developed by ONE, a Michigan-based startup. The Gemini battery is claimed to store more energy and allows a vehicle range of 600 miles (965 km) or more on a single charge.
The Gemini battery was developed to reduce the use of minerals commonly used in the production of traditional electric vehicle batteries such as cobalt, nickel, graphite and lithium, according to Mujeeb Ijaz, founder and chief executive of ONE.
ONE will offer production versions of the battery in three different sizes and prices, Ijaz said, including a low-end version that costs the same as conventional nickel and cobalt-based electric vehicle batteries.
Ijaz said ONE is discussing testing Gemini battery prototypes with other manufacturers.
Venture company BMW in March led a $65 million funding round at ONE in addition to other investors such as Coatue Management, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Assembly Ventures, Flex and Volta Energy Technologies.
The Gemini battery prototype was piloted in a Tesla Model S sedan in December 2021 giving it a range of over 750 miles (1,200 km).
ONE, which was founded in 2020, has focused on developing long-range batteries. The company is taking the approach of using safer and more sustainable materials, while packing more energy into smaller, cheaper packages.
