A standard EV (electric vehicle) battery may now be charged in 10 minutes, thanks to advancements in battery design. Recently an article was published announcing the record-breaking combination of a quicker charging time and more energy acquired for a greater travel range.
Image credits: PennState
Why is this technology important?
According to Chao-Yang Wang, the Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Penn State University, U.S., and the study’s principal author, the demand for smaller quicker-charging batteries is higher than ever. Batteries and other essential raw materials, especially those produced locally, aren’t available in sufficient quantities to meet demand. The Air Resources Board of California adopted a comprehensive plan in August 2022 to impose restrictions on and eventually outlaw the sale of gasoline-powered vehicles in the state. In the United States, the internal combustion engine will essentially be phased out by 2035 in the automobile market.
Battery-powered electric vehicles have two key limitations that must be overcome if new car sales are to shift to them, according to Wang; they are too slow to recharge and too big to be effective and economical. To develop the technology, Wang’s lab collaborated with State College, Pennsylvania-based startup EC Power.
“Our fast-charging technology works for most energy-dense batteries and will open a new possibility to downsize electric vehicle batteries from 150 to 50 kWh without causing drivers to feel range anxiety,” said Wang.
Image credits: pixabay
What are the difficulties the team faced?
Keeping batteries consistently at just the right temperature has been a major challenge for battery engineers. Historically, they have relied on external, bulky heating and cooling systems to regulate battery temperature, which respond slowly and waste a lot of energy, Wang said. The nickel foil serves as stimulation that causes the battery to self-regulate its temperature and reactivity, enabling 10-minute fast charging on virtually any EV battery, he added. According to the researchers, real fast-charging batteries would make a difference right now.
Fast charging is essential for EV adoption since there aren’t enough raw minerals to replace every internal combustion engine vehicle with one that has a 150 kWh battery. According to Wang, EC Power is aiming to produce and market the fast-charging battery for an accessible and sustainable future of car electrification. They are working to manufacture and commercialize the fast-charging battery for an affordable and sustainable future of vehicle electrification.
The research was published in the journal Nature.
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