Mullen Automotive began Class 1 EV cargo van road testing with an integrated solid-state polymer battery pack. Vehicle road testing began on Feb. 26 at Mullen’s Commercial Tech Center in Troy, MI. Mullen’s latest phase of solid-state polymer battery testing began in January with the installation of the battery pack into the Class 1 EV cargo van for testing system compatibility between the vehicle and pack. Recent performance testing has included on-road drive cycles as well as Dyno testing at an EPA-certified lab located in Northville, MI, Mullen said.
Due to the higher energy density of the solid-state battery, the total pack energy increased from 42 kWh to 72 kWh. The initial test results met or exceeded all requirements targeted for the first drive cycles for energy usage and the driving range. It was estimated that the range would be increased from 110 miles to 190 miles and the real-world tests exceeded those projections, resulting in an 86% range increase with the solid-state battery pack.
“The first road test has resulted in significant gains in vehicle range. Additional testing over time will solidify a solid-state solution for our commercial vehicles. Next steps include finalizing our design and manufacturing validation,” said David Michery, CEO and chairman of Mullen Automotive.
