Charging times, a significant hurdle to electric car adoption, are set to tumble with the introduction of new battery technology which promises recharge times comparable to filling up the tank of an ICE-powered vehicle. Crucially, the new batteries are not confined to a lab but are largely production-ready.
Five minute fast‑charge EVs on the way | FOS Future Lab
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Based on existing lithium-ion technology the batteries developed by Israeli company StoreDot, differ in the material used for the cathode, which accepts the charged ions. In existing batteries the cathode is made of graphite which, when charged too quickly, can cause the ions to form a metal, short circuiting the battery.
StoreDot replaces the graphite cathode with semiconductor nanoparticles, into which the charged lithium ions can pass more quickly. Currently the nanoparticles are based on Germanium, a rare element which was the basis for early solid state electronics, but StoreDot aims to replace it with silicon-based nanoparticles.
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StoreDot claims these will be suitable for mass production and at a similar cost to existing lithium-ion batteries. EV batteries also need to be capable of being repeatedly recharged without losing performance and the company claims 1,000 cycles (which would equate to roughly 250,000 miles of motoring) while maintaining 80 per cent efficiency.
Among StoreDot’s investors is BP and the company is working with the oil giant on plans to upgrade the charging stations and local grids needed to keep pace with battery technology and remove the final bottleneck.
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