Five Minutes: StoreDot Super Fast Charging Technology
As a rule, it takes from three hours to almost a full day to fully charge an electric vehicle. Start a conversation about any electric transport, and after discussing the issues of economy, the turn will come to the time of full “refueling” – a parameter that is still far from ideal. The main fear of any electric vehicle owner is to get stuck somewhere on the track or spend several hours charging / recharging. But it looks like these fears may come to an end, and charging a vehicle will be no different from regular refueling.
Charging a lithium-ion battery for five minutes was considered impossible until Israel’s StoreDot released the first factory batch of its batteries. Lithium-ion batteries currently on the market contain graphite. It increases the energy capacity of the battery, increases the number of ions and electrons due to the ability to retain lithium. The larger the battery capacity, the slower it will discharge. To increase the capacity, it is necessary to increase the volume of graphite, and this is already extra weight. Therefore, manufacturers are in constant search of graphite replacements. StoreDot are experimenting with germanium nanoparticles, but later the manufacturer plans to replace it with cheaper silicon, prototypes of such a battery will appear this year.
Fast charging batteries are under development by many companies. Silicone electrodes are being tested by Tesla, Enevate and Sila Nanotechnologies, while Echion is investigating compounds with niobium oxide nanoparticles. Since mid-last year, a number of China’s leading battery suppliers have introduced patented cell-to-body battery technologies that simply reduce the mass of inactive materials in the battery pack, thereby increasing its energy density. Also, such replacements of graphite with nanoparticles solve the problems of battery swelling – the main problem with fast and powerful battery charging.
An electric car, scooter or tender that can charge in five minutes can dramatically reduce queues at charging stations and almost completely eliminate the worry of range. Also, given the development of the market for drones and drones, for example, which will be able to autonomously charge and work without interruptions, as before, this development looks very practical.
Chinese manufacturer Eve Energy teamed up with StoreDot to unveil the first prototypes to demonstrate the technology. XFC – Extreme Fast Charging is a clear proof of the application and, most importantly, adaptation of this technology to life. Of course, in order to fully “fill” the electric battery, you will need very high power charging stations. But the company looks to the future with optimism and promises that mass production can begin as early as 2025.
But still there is a fly in the ointment. Experts believe that fast charging technologies like StoreDot, although they will be offered to manufacturers of electric vehicles in the next five years, but due to complex and costly production, only niche markets will be able to afford them, which will be able to pay for the high declared characteristics.
And although, in recent years, fast charging technology has been of interest to most manufacturers, it has been studied very little. It is necessary to clarify the issues of battery stability, simplify its production, and reduce the cost. For the foreseeable future, graphite anodes are likely to continue to dominate the lithium-ion battery market due to their low cost, widespread availability, and technological maturity.
