New EV battery tech promises 10%-80% charge in under 5-minutes
UK-based startup Nyobolt has made a significant stride in the electric vehicle (EV) industry by developing a rapid-charging battery. In a live demonstration, the battery charged from 10% to 80% in just four minutes and 37 seconds. This development is part of wider industry efforts to reduce EV charging times, which currently take between 15 to 20 minutes for an 80% charge using a Tesla supercharger.
Nyobolt battery achieves 193km range in testing
During a two-day testing period, the Nyobolt battery-equipped sports car achieved a range of 193km after just four minutes of charging. This compares to a Tesla charged to 80%, which typically has a range of up to 322km. Meanwhile, the firm faced challenges such as the UK heatwave and issues with the concept car's cooling system. These factors also hindered the firm from replicating lab results claiming a six-minute 0% to 100% battery charge.
Oxford professor highlights importance of rapid charging
Paul Shearing, a professor at Oxford University, underscored the significance of Nyobolt's achievement. He stated that "developing technology that enables people to charge more quickly, which chimes with the time it currently takes to re-fuel a car - is really important." Shearing also emphasized the need for more chargers of all types, adding that "people are going to want fast-charging infrastructure, independent of what car they're using - everyone wants to do this more quickly."
Nyobolt's future plans and battery longevity
Nyobolt plans to collaborate with existing car brands instead of manufacturing its own vehicles. The company expects its battery to be inside EVs "at small scale" within a year. The 350kW DC superfast chargers required for the Nyobolt battery are publicly available in the UK, but not yet widespread. Furthermore, the firm claims that their battery still charges to 80% after 4,000 cycles, indicating minimized degradation.
