On March 18, 2025, Yiwei Lithium Energy announced that it has received a supplier development notification from Guangdong Huitian Aerospace Technology Co., Ltd. (referred to as Xpeng Huitian). This notification signifies that Yiwei Lithium Energy will provide the next generation of low-voltage lithium batteries for Xpeng Huitian’s flying cars. Yiwei Lithium Energy stated that receiving this development notification is a comprehensive recognition of its research and development technology, product performance, and supply qualifications in low-voltage lithium batteries, marking another significant achievement in their expansion into the low-altitude economy market.
The successful implementation of this project is expected to help both parties build a new ecosystem for the low-altitude economy, jointly promote the high-quality development of the low-altitude economic industry, and continuously enhance the company’s market expansion capabilities, comprehensive strength, and internationalization in the new energy sector.
According to reports, Xpeng Huitian is an innovative brand under Xpeng Motors, focusing on the low-altitude economy by integrating smart vehicles with modern aviation technology to provide users with intelligent electric flying cars. In October 2023, they released the split-type flying car, known as the “Land Aircraft Carrier”, and plan to complete the first public manned flight globally by November 2024.
This is not the first collaboration between Yiwei Lithium Energy and Xpeng Motors. Since their partnership began in 2020, Yiwei has leveraged its innovative technology and manufacturing capabilities in the field of power batteries to supply high-quality battery products for various Xpeng models, including the G3, P5, P7, G9, and X9. As of December 2024, the total number of batteries supplied to Xpeng Motors has surpassed 150,000 units. Notably, all three models of the Xpeng P7+ are equipped with batteries developed by Yiwei Lithium Energy based on an 800V high-voltage platform.
Recently, Yiwei Lithium Energy has achieved several milestones in the low-altitude sector. On March 5, a manned electric airship, the AS700D, developed by AVIC, successfully completed its maiden flight in Hubei. This airship is equipped with a high-performance battery specifically designed for the low-altitude economy by Yiwei Lithium Energy. It boasts a maximum speed of 80 km/h and can fly at an altitude of 3,100 meters, carrying up to 10 people. The battery system onboard the AS700D supports a maximum of 8C pulse discharge and 3C continuous output, catering to the instantaneous power demands of the airship under complex conditions. Furthermore, it employs a dual-layer module structure and a dual-package parallel redundancy design, ensuring safe operation even in the event of a single package failure.
In terms of battery companies expanding their lithium battery application scenarios, several firms, including CATL, Yiwei Lithium Energy, Farasis Energy, Li Shen Battery, Zhengtai New Energy, Ruien New Energy, BYD, Guoxuan High-tech, Sunwoda, China Innovation Aviation, and New Energy An, are actively engaging in the research and application of batteries for electric flying cars, eVTOLs, and drones.
Market forecasts from the China Civil Aviation Administration estimate that by 2035, the low-altitude economic market in China will reach a scale of ¥3.5 trillion, indicating vast market potential. In this context, the Battery Application Subcommittee of the China Chemical and Physical Power Industry Association and Battery China Network will jointly host the “Electric Aviation and Next-Generation Battery (CIBF2025 Shenzhen) Technical Exchange Conference” on May 15-16, 2025, in Shenzhen. The theme of the conference is “Flying Toward a Green Future”, and it will focus on the latest research and development progress in electric aviation and next-generation battery technologies, challenges faced, and future development trends to help achieve significant breakthroughs and growth in China’s electric aviation industry, thereby promoting the early take-off of the domestic low-altitude economy. Registration for the conference is now open, and industry professionals are encouraged to participate.
