[Courtesy of Proterra]
South Korea's top battery maker, LG Chem, has secured a crucial deal to provide battery cells to Proterra, a California-based company which set a new world record for the longest distance traveled by an electric vehicle (EV) on a single charge.
Proterra said in a statement posted on its website that its record was set by one of its Catalyst E2 max electric buses that traveled 1,101.2 miles with 660 kWh of energy storage capacity, demonstrating the improved range and performance of batteries.
The US company did not mention LG, but the South Korean company has launched a joint project to develop batteries with extended driving range.
"For our heavy-duty electric bus to break the previous world record of 1,013.76 miles — which was set by a light-duty passenger EV 46 times lighter than the Catalyst E2 max — is a major feat," Matt Horton, Proterra's chief commercial officer, said in the statement.
Ryan Popple, Proterra CEO, said, "As we see incumbents and more companies enter the heavy-duty EV market, it has become very apparent that the future is all-electric, and the sun is setting on combustion engine technology."
The deal with Proterra will help LG diversify the source of revenue at its business in China remains uncertain due to informal trade retaliation. South Korean companies were forced to revise their business strategy in China because of its decision to stop subsidizing EV manufacturers using parts from foreign manufacturers. The move was seen as China's economic retaliation for a US missile shield.
reporter
Lim Chang-won
cwlim34@ajunews.com
