TOULOUSE, France—Airbus SE and Renault Group have formed a strategic partnership to develop EV battery technology. Engineers from both companies will focus on energy management optimization, battery weight improvement and next-generation solid-state batteries. They’ll also study the lifecycle of future battery designs, from production to recyclability.

“For the first time, two European leaders from different industries are sharing engineering knowledge to shape the future of hybrid-electric aircraft,” says Gilles Le Borgne, executive vice president of engineering at Renault. “Aviation is an extremely demanding field in terms of both safety and energy consumption, and so is the car industry.

“Our 10 years of experience in the electric vehicle value chain gives us some of the strongest feedback from the field and expertise in the performance of battery management systems,” explains Le Borgne. “Driven by the same ambition to innovate and reduce the carbon footprint, our engineering teams are exchanging with those of Airbus to converge transversal technologies that will enable both hybrid aircraft to be operated and the vehicles of tomorrow to be developed.”

“This cross-industry partnership with Renault will help us mature the next generation of batteries as part of [our] electrification roadmap,” adds Sabine Klauke, chief technical officer at Airbus. “Reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050 is a unique challenge that requires cooperation across sectors, starting today.

“Bringing together Renault’s experience in electric vehicles with our own track record in electric flight demonstrators will allow us to accelerate the development of the disruptive technologies required for future hybrid aircraft architectures in the 2030s and beyond,” claims Klauke. “It will also foster the emergence of common technical and regulatory standards in support of the clean mobility solutions needed to achieve our climate targets.”