Nyobolt, a startup based in Cambridge, UK, has developed a new generation 35kWh lithium-ion battery that can charge in just over four and a half minutes.
This charging time is significantly faster than the approximately 20 minutes currently required by some electric vehicles using fast chargers like Tesla (TSLA) Superchargers and is almost on par with the time it takes to fill a gasoline tank.
Nyobolt’s sports car testing the new ultra-fast charging battery.
The company states that Nyobolt’s technology is built on a decade of research led by Clare Grey and Shivareddy, both associated with the University of Cambridge.
The key to the battery’s ultra-fast charging capability, without significantly affecting its lifespan, lies in its design that allows for reduced heat generation. This feature also enhances safety, as overheating can cause lithium-ion batteries to ignite or explode.
Additionally, the materials used in the construction of the battery’s anode facilitate faster electron transfer.
Nyobolt is currently in negotiations to sell this battery to eight electric vehicle manufacturers. With a capacity of 35 kWh, the battery is much smaller than the 85 kWh found in a typical American electric vehicle (EV).
However, this technology could be applied in larger battery packs in the future. This new generation of rechargeable batteries addresses a significant drawback of existing electric vehicles on the market: long charging times, which can be inconvenient for long-distance drivers.
Nyobolt reports that independent tests conducted on their battery by a leading global manufacturer discovered that this battery can achieve over 4,000 fast charging cycles, equivalent to 965,600 km, while still retaining over 80% capacity.
“This figure is many times higher than the warranty period of larger EV batteries currently available,” the company noted.
William Kephart, an electric vehicle expert at consulting firm P3 Group and a former engineer, commented that the EV battery developed by Nyobolt theoretically can charge as quickly as the company claims, but the challenge lies in producing this type of battery at an industrial scale.
