Blue Vector Intelligent Technology of Hangzhou and CATL signed a strategic cooperation agreement and a product agreement on 2 November. Under the terms, CATL will develop a customised aviation power battery for Blue Vector’s SKYLA V30 aircraft and becomes the exclusive battery partner, with the two working jointly on electric aviation technology.
The cooperation extends beyond the V30 to technology innovation, joint research, standards setting, market development and operational scenarios.
The aircraft
Blue Vector focuses on urban air mobility. The SKYLA V30 is a six seat, two tonne class pure electric tiltrotor aimed at intercity passenger flights over terrain and water, built to commercial aviation safety standards with an open architecture. The core team came from AVIC and COMAC, and the company has raised roughly RMB 200m over the past two months.
Why an exclusive deal matters
Battery performance sets the commercial case for electric aviation, since energy density, thermal behaviour and redundancy all bear directly on payload and range. An exclusive supply arrangement commits both sides to joint work on energy density, safety margins and airworthiness standards.
For CATL the agreement extends its automotive cell technology and certification system into an aviation context. That is a longer and more expensive qualification path than any car programme, and a harder asset to copy than a cheaper cell.
Editor’s note: This is an adapted translation of the original Gasgoo report. It has been trimmed and restructured for readability for an international business audience. The full original (in Chinese) is at https://auto.gasgoo.com/news/202611/3I70476753C501.shtml.