Paul Lienert

DETROIT, (Reuters) – Our Next Energy, a Michigan-based startup that has been around for two years, announced Wednesday that it had successfully tested a prototype battery in a Tesla Model S. It drove 752 miles (1.210 km) before recharging.

ONE aims to begin producing battery packs that will deliver similar range — about double that of most existing electric vehicles — by late 2023, according to Mujeeb Ijaz, ONE’s founder and chief executive.

“We plan to build (batteries) in North America, and believe it can be done economically,” Ijaz said in an interview.

ONE is a company that has worked hard to develop a longer-lasting battery with safer materials. The batteries are also more cost effective and can be used in smaller packages.

Ijaz is an industry veteran of 30 years. He was formerly a senior executive at Apple (NASDAQ) and A123 Systems where he managed teams that developed electric vehicle battery systems.

For ONE’s Gemini battery, Ijaz said: “We want to eliminate both nickel and cobalt, but we don’t want to give up energy density. We aim to re-invent battery chemistry as well as the cell architecture” in order to provide at least 750 miles of range between charges.

“If you put that much energy on board, you are ready for anything the customer asks – a round trip from Detroit to Chicago, or towing a trailer.”

ONE’s range target is well beyond even the best of current electric vehicles, including the Lucid Air, which offers just over 500 miles of range in the top version.

Ijaz said ONE chose a Tesla Model S to showcase its prototype battery because “it has fairly high efficiency and a fairly large battery pack” which provided enough space to fit ONE’s battery.

The tests took place in a road-test across Michigan in December at an average speed 55 miles per hours, according to ONE.