For many electric car drivers, the biggest concern while on the road is the fear of running out of charge.
But the days spent hours at a toll station could be a thing of the past, thanks to a new electric car battery that reaches full charge in just five minutes.
The lithium-ion battery can power the car for up to 100 miles on a single charge, and could be available from 2025.
The designers say the battery marks an important step towards electric cars becoming as fast and as easy to ‘refuel’ as petrol or diesel vehicles.
The StoreDot battery uses semiconductor nanoparticles, in which ions can pass much more easily. These nanoparticles are currently based on germanium, although StoreDot hopes to start using silicon
The battery was developed by the Israeli company StoreDot, which has already unveiled their fast batteries in smartphones, drones and scooters.
Now the startup industry is turning its attention to electric cars.
Speaking to the Guardian, Doron Myersdorf, CEO of StoreDot, explained: ‘The main barrier to adopting electric vehicles is no longer cost, it is a field concern.
‘You’re either scared of getting stuck on the highway or you have to sit in a toll station for two hours. But if the driver’s experience is just like fuel [a petrol car], all this anxiety goes away.
A five-minute lithium-ion battery was considered impossible. But we do not release a prototype lab, we release engineering samples from a large production line. This shows that it is feasible and commercially ready. ‘
Most lithium-ion batteries use graphite as a single electrode, pushing the lithium ions through it to store charge.
However, these ions can get dense if pushed through too quickly, limiting the rate at which you can charge your car.
To address this issue, the StoreDot battery uses semiconductor nanoparticles, in which ions can pass much more easily.
The lithium-ion battery can power the car for up to 100 miles at a single charge, and could be available from 2025
These nanoparticles are currently based on germanium, although StoreDot hopes to start using silicon.
Speaking to Intellectual Transport, Mr Myersdorf said: ‘Replacing graphite with metalloids, such as silicon, is a very important and important transition in battery technology, and is designed to be one of do two things: either improve energy density or reduce ion capacity. distribution to improve cost times. ‘
Unfortunately, silicon-based batteries are currently more expensive to produce than lithium-ion batteries.
Mr Myersdorf said: ‘Silicon is cheap and readily available – it is second only to oxygen in the Earth.
The sad thing is that there is not yet a high-quality supply chain for silicon for batteries, because we need to be real and consistent, and we need the granules in a specific size and shape.
‘For example, if we use 500 nanometers of silicon, the cost for that is higher just because there is no supply chain.’
When the StoreDot batteries first go on sale in 2025, that could mean they are about 10-15 percent more expensive than lithium-ion options.
However, Mr Myersdorf is hopeful that these costs could be cut over time as the company scales.
When the StoreDot batteries are first sold in 2025, they are expected to be around 10-15 percent more expensive than lithium-ion alternatives
‘Over time as we scale, we should see the same costs and the same cost curve reduction as we saw with EV batteries today, as the supply chain should improve,’ he said. .
StoreDot is not the only company working on fast electric car batteries.
Earlier this week, researchers from Penn State University revealed that they are developing an electric car battery that will last in just 10 minutes and last 250 miles at a single charge.
The EV batteries are made from lithium iron phosphate, which is known for being ‘safe for no reason’, and can heat and cool quickly – a key to fast charge and long life.
They quickly heat up to 140 ° F for charging and discharging and then cool down when the battery is not in use.
The system could address ‘area confusion’ – the fear of drivers not charging their electric vehicle (EV) enough until they reach their destination.
Researchers say their battery should last more than 2 million miles in life and would be a ’round powertrain for supermarket EVs’ if commercialized.
Chao-Yang Wang, who led the study, said: ‘We have developed a very smart battery for mass-market electric vehicles with cost parity with incinerator engines.
‘This is how we are going to change the environment and not just add the luxury cars. Let everyone get electric vehicles. ‘
Scalextric-style roads that lift EVs away could soon be built in Coventry to deal with ‘field confusion’
Known as wireless charging (DWC), the technology would ensure uninterrupted power supply for EVs while on the move
Coventry is evaluating the potential of Scalextric-style technology that would charge electric vehicles (EVs) as they go.
Known as wireless charging (DWC), the technology would ensure uninterrupted power supply for EVs while on the move.
The £ 419,000 ‘DynaCov’ project, supported by Coventry Town Council, Toyota, National Express, and others, saw electric coils rooted under asphalt on certain areas of the city ‘s roads.
These coils, which would be connected to a mains supply, would dissipate power to a disposal in vehicle wheels.
The electricity would then be transferred from the receiver to the EV battery, giving it a continuous source of power as it moved.
EVs typically require paperwork for reimbursement while deployed to roadside charging stations and in car parks, taking up valuable time for drivers.
DWC could be installed in cars or even large vehicles such as buses or trucks allowing them to charge and reduce the number of stops, saving time.
The system could also address ‘field concerns’ – drivers fear they do not have enough cost on their EV until they reach their destination.
British non-profit research firm Cenex, another sponsor of the project, told MailOnline that it would be possible to replace existing EVs with the technology needed for dynamic wireless charging, although which can be very expensive.
However, many EV manufacturers including BMW and Tesla are already incorporating cost-effective wireless technology into their vehicles.
Read more: Coventry working on Scalextric EV style puts cost aside