Fisker's promise to bring advanced, solid-state graphene cells to the battery pack of its upcoming Emotion electric car is officially dead.
Automotive-grade graphene batteries have yet to be perfected, but Fisker was poised to become the first company to utilize the technology.
The batteries provide greater range and shorter charging times, but for now, Fisker will stick with conventional lithium-ion cells.
DON'T MISS: Fisker EMotion 400-mile luxury electric car: new teaser photo released
Automotive News reported on the demise of Fisker's graphene battery plans, stemming from a dissolved joint venture between Fisker and UCLA's Nanotech.
In a statement, Nanotech said, "In order to meet the timetable for Henrik Fisker, we would have had to just focus on [automotive applications] and that alone."
The company went on to say it has plans to work with several different technology sectors, and it wouldn't be right to "just focus on one thing."
Fisker EMotion
The joint venture between Fisker and Nanotech was announced last year at the same time the Henrik Fisker revealed early details on the Emotion luxury electric sedan.
Before the partnership met its demise, Fisker had already said the Emotion would not ship with the advanced battery cells.
What the joint venture's demise means for Fisker's promised Ultracharger technology is unclear: it was claimed to offer 125 miles of range from a 9-minute charging session.
READ THIS: Fisker EMotion won't launch with graphene battery; 400-mile range still promised
Fisker's Ultracharger is likely the company's answer to Tesla's Supercharger, but whether it was developed to work with lithium-ion batteries—or only the now-departed graphene battery—is unclear.
Despite the rocky start, Fisker and Nanotech remain in a "friendly" relationship and both stated they could work together in the future.
The two companies will reportedly continue to work together on graphene battery technology, though Nanotech made no explicit promises surrounding its automotive application.
Fisker EMotion
Fisker now plans to use battery cells supplied by LG Chem, a major supplier within the electric-vehicle industry. Its cells are used in the Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car and Volt plug-in hybrid, among many others.
According to Fisker, the change from graphene to advanced cylindrical lithium-ion nickel-cobalt-manganese cells will not affect the Emotion's performance credentials—the car will still be rated at 400 miles of range.
CHECK OUT: All-electric Fisker EMotion orders open June 30, starting at $129,900
The Emotion is to go on sale in 2019, with pre-orders for the electric car now open, starting at $129,000 and up.
An official debut is planned for the coming months; it may take place at Monterey Car Week in August.
_______________________________________
