ORA Cherry Cat gets battery capacity and range revealed
The Cherry Cat is the first SUV made by ORA and will be available with LFP (LiFePO4) and NMx cobalt-free batteries made by SVOLT for different ranges/prices.
The general characteristics of this electric car were already known and are listed below.
ORA Cherry Cat (LFP version)
- Length: 4.510 mm
- Wheelbase: 2.710 mm
- Width: 1.855 mm
- Height: 1.665 mm
- Gross vehicle weight: 2.230 kg (with passengers and cargo)
- Curb weight: 1.800 – 1.855 kg (empty vehicle)
- Motor: 66 kW (constant) and 150 kW (peak)
- Max speed: 180 km/h
- Battery: LFP (LiFePO4) by SVOLT
ORA Cherry Cat (NMx version)
- Length: 4.510 mm
- Wheelbase: 2.710 mm
- Width: 1.855 mm
- Height: 1.665 mm
- Gross vehicle weight: 2.260 kg (with passengers and cargo)
- Curb weight: 1.885 kg (empty vehicle)
- Motor: 66 kW (constant) and 150 kW (peak)
- Max speed: 180 km/h
- Battery: NMx (LNMO) by SVOLT
However, only now we know the characteristics of the different cobalt-free batteries. Let’s take a look.
LFP (LiFePO4) battery
- Capacity: 66 kWh (60,5 kWh usable)
- Weight: 458 kg
- Energy density: 145,1 Wh/kg
- Range: 470 km (NEDC) and around 350 km in WLTP
NMx (LNMO) battery
- Capacity: 84 kWh (79,62 kWh usable)
- Weight: 487,4 kg
- Energy density: 172,3 Wh/kg
- Range: 600 km (NEDC) and around 450 km in WLTP
I’m a bit disappointed with the energy density of the NMx battery and was expecting at least 200 Wh/kg thanks to a CTP (cell-to-pack) configuration. However, the poor GCTP (gravimetric cell-to-pack) ratio (around 72 %) suggests the usage of modules inside the battery pack.
Hopefully, in the near future SVOLT will make module-less packs with the NMx prismatic battery cells to increase the energy density.
Anyway, we still don’t know the starting price nor the fast charging rates of the ORA Cherry Cat.
More info:
https://www.miit.gov.cn/zwgk/zcwj/wjfb/gg/art/2021/art_d2e13cc07e8c418694fe916283fff832.html
Your 200Wh/kg estimate was a dream anyway. 172Wh/kg are so good I don’t know how u can be disappointed by that.
It’s okay, but not impressive. In China there are battery packs that already surpassed 200 Wh/kg.
Anyway, the CTP packs will probably come with the longer 226 Ah battery cells later this year.
The current pack seems to be made with small 115 Ah battery cells.
The car seems to be pretty inefficient. Hyundai Kona reaches the same range as LFP version but on the WLTP cycle.
It is also a longer, wider, taller, heavier vehicle than the Kona. But still, efficiency seems unimpressive.