Mullen begins road-testing a van with a solid-state battery
The company says this is due to the higher energy density of the solid-state battery, which increased from 42 kWh on LFP technology to 72 kWh with SSP chemistry. Mullen adds that the 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 to test system compatibility between the vehicle and pack.
Recent testing has included on-road drive cycles and Dyno testing at an EPA-certified lab in Michigan.
The initial test results met or exceeded all requirements targeted for the first drive cycles for energy usage and the driving range. The range was estimated to increase by over 70%, and the first real-world tests exceeded those projections.
The company announced last November that it would be moving its pilot production facilities from Monrovia to Fullerton in California. According to Mullen, it was to start “calibration of the solid-state polymer (SSP) battery BMS for integration into the Class 1 EV cargo van”, with testing to follow in the first quarter of 2024. Looking at this schedule, the company appears on track.
“The first road test has resulted in significant gains in vehicle range,” confirmed David Michery, CEO and chairman of Mullen Automotive. “Additional testing over time will solidify a solid-state solution for our commercial vehicles. The next steps include finalizing our design and manufacturing validation.”
Mullen’s commercial EV lineup includes a Class 1-3 cargo van and cab chassis. The startup has also included Class 4-6 chassis made by Bollinger Motors since it acquired the latter in a surprise move in September 2023.
The same month, Mullen Automotive purchased the battery pack production assets from Romeo Power for approximately $3.5 million. The deal included “equipment, inventory, and intellectual property for high-volume EV (electric vehicle) battery pack and module production.”
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