Strong demand and technical advances continue to drive innovation in portable power solutions. The most recent example comes from Bluetti, which partnered with German advanced-materials giant Covestro on its next-generation Elite series model. The companies showcased the product –– dubbed the Elite 100 V2 Bio-Circular –– at the big CES 2026 show in Las Vegas in early January.
Initially, portable power stations served primarily as emergency backups during power outages but they now have become essential equipment for such outdoor activities as camping and recreational-vehicle travel.
For this latest product Bluetti, a green energy company founded in 2009 in Shenzhen, China, chose to make the housing from Covestro’s Bayblend® RE polycarbonate, which contains 25 percent bio-circular raw materials, attributed through mass balance accounting. Covestro estimates this can reduce the housing’s CO2 footprint by more than 20 percent compared to the conventional polycarbonate.
Illia Zahnitko, business development manager of Bluetti Power Inc., said at CES that a key challenge involved ensuring that the device’s housing lasts as long as its internal components. The firm said that with more than 4,000 charging cycles –– roughly 10 years of use –– its LiFePO4 battery “requires a housing that withstands aging, brittleness, and wear, even under extreme temperatures and UV exposure.” At the same time, for safety reasons, the material must tolerate heat during operation without fire risk.
Eric Saks, Covestro’s electronics and electrical marketing manager – Americas, noted that the Bayblend® polycarbonate meets both requirements: “It offers high impact resistance even at low temperatures and complies with UL 94 V-0 flame retardant standards for safe operation.”
Covestro formulates the Bayblend® RE grade to include renewable ingredients attributed through mass balance accounting from bio-circular and biological residues. The material is part of the firm’s CQ (Circular Intelligence) product portfolio, which marks products attributed with at least 25 percent alternative raw materials through this accounting method.
Beyond technical performance, Saks said Bayblend® enables refined surface textures and diverse color options through Covestro’s advanced color, material and finish (CMF) capabilities. The new Elite 100 V2 Bio-Circular sports a sophisticated blue color, which helps it to stand out in the sea of usual gray or black portable power stations.
Lily Wang, global president of engineering plastics at Covestro, said, “This collaboration with Bluetti demonstrates how innovative materials can accelerate the transition to more sustainable solutions for the rapidly growing portable power market.”
Bluetti Vice President Allen Huang, added that by using Covestro’s advanced bio-circular materials, “we enhance the durability and safety of our products while actively reducing our environmental impact.”
With a retail price of about $400, the Elite 100 V2 weighs just 25 pounds, has an 1,800-watt output and 11 ports.
It can reach an 80 percent charge in 45 minutes using a 1,200W AC input. Alternatively, this model features a 1,000-watt solar input that can reach a full charge in 70 minutes using its built-in Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) controller. (An MPPT controller is an integrated electronic DC-to-DC converter that automatically maximizes solar energy harvesting by optimizing the voltage and current output from panels to match battery requirements.)
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Both Saks and Zahnitko participated in a clean-energy panel discussion at CES along with representatives from Leave No Trace, Texas Instruments, and pv magazine. Energy journalist Tristan Rayner, who writes for pv magazine, said: “We’re witnessing a transition in energy storage as it spreads throughout the home, and in mobility options as well. It’s clearly a shift from backup security to more lifestyle energy.”
Additionally, Covestro produced this interview from the show with both Saks and Zahnitko.
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