It may just soon take the same time to charge up a battery on a BEV as it does to fuel a conventional car.
Whenever the debate regarding the adoption of EVs crop up, one of the main arguments against this new form of propulsion will inevitably be the charging process.
Not only are there not enough charging ports around, but to charge up an electric vehicle (in the current time at least) still takes an age. And that is even with the latest and greatest 230+ kW DC ultra-fast chargers around.
Then again though, while the first half of the problem can be circumvented with simply building more chargers, there also might be a breakthrough when it comes to the latter half as the world’s first 5-minute-charge battery pack has recently been unveiled. Developed by an Israeli company called StoreDot, this newly unveiled EV battery pack is claimed to be able to fully charge in roughly the same time it takes now to fully fuel up a conventional car at the pumps.
Developed in conjunction with StoreDot’s strategic partner in China, EVE Energy Co. Ltd, this extreme-fast-charging battery (XFC) technology is works on the same basic working principles of a lithium-ion cell today. What is new though with this innovative battery tech is the graphite has been replaced with semiconductor nanoparticles that allow ions to pass more easily and quickly, which means charging can happen at an extremely rapid pace.
Unlike other competing technologies too which require significant capital expenditure in bespoke manufacturing equipment, this particular battery technology that should be cheaper to produce than its (perhaps more radical graphene-based) competition. In fact, these batteries have been designed to be produced on existing Li-ion production lines at EVE Energy.
Still in its generation one prototype phase, over 1,000 sample of these XFC batteries have already been produced. All of which are compliant with the UN 38.3 li-ion battery certifications. Additionally, StoreDot is expected to be able to launch a cheaper, second-generation, silicon-dominant anode prototype battery for EVs later this year.
According to a statement made by the StoreDot, this new unveiling demonstrates ‘a significant milestone for the company in its mission to eliminate the range and charging anxiety of electric vehicles’. It also marks the company being ‘one step closer to making (it’s) vision of 5-minute charging of EVs a commercial reality’.
As to when these batteries will actually make it into a production EV however, commercial availability of these XFC batteries will probably not enter the mainstream market for many years yet. Nevertheless, with big-name investors like BP, Daimler, Samsung Ventures, and TDK already banking on this tech being the next big thing, it should be clear to see that battery-powered EVs could make an even more attractive proposition than it is today.
Having said that, EVs that take 5-minutes to go from 0-100% in 5 minutes already do exists in the form of hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV). So could that be the answer to the EV conundrum then?
PRESS RELEASE: StoreDot, the pioneer of extreme fast charging (XFC) battery technology, today announces the availability of its first-generation 5-minute charge battery engineering samples. This represents a significant milestone for the company in its mission to eliminate the range and charging anxiety of electric vehicles (EVs), demonstrating the commercial viability of XFC batteries for the first time via a small form-factor battery cell.
StoreDot is releasing the first production batch of sample cells, which is targeted at showcasing the technology to potential EV and industry partners. This first-generation battery was used to demonstrate the full charge of a two-wheeled EV in just 5 minutes for the first time (see video) and can offer ultra-fast charging to a number of other industries, such as commercial drones and consumer electronics. The first-generation engineering samples demonstrate to EV OEMs and battery manufacturers the successful replacement of graphite in the cell’s anode using metalloid nano-particles – a key breakthrough in overcoming major issues in safety, battery cycle life and swelling.
The sample cells were produced by StoreDot’s strategic partner in China – EVE Energy Co., Ltd. Crucially, unlike competing technologies which require significant capital expenditure in bespoke manufacturing equipment, StoreDot XFC batteries are designed to be produced on existing Li-ion production lines at EVE Energy. The samples are compliant with UN 38.3, which ensures the safety of Li-ion batteries during shipping.
Dr. Doron Myersdorf, CEO of StoreDot, comments: “StoreDot continues to go from strength to strength as we get one step closer to making our vision of 5-minute charging of EVs a commercial reality. Our team of top scientists has overcome inherent challenges of XFC such as safety, cycle life and swelling by harnessing innovative materials and cell design. Today’s announcement marks an important milestone, moving XFC for the first time beyond innovation in the lab to a commercially-viable product that is scalable for mass production. This paves the way for the launch of our second-generation, silicon-dominant anode prototype battery for electric vehicles later this year.”
In collaboration with its strategic partners, StoreDot is in the vanguard of driving mainstream adoption of electric vehicles by overcoming the critical barrier of range and charging anxiety.
