The quick solution to gain autonomy in electric cars is to use larger batteries. It is not ideal, they use more materials (which are scarce and of critical access) and add weight, but luckily scientists are tearing their brains to find solutions and advance with fast charging technology. At Pennsylvania State University they have been researching for some time and have presented a breakthrough, a high-density battery that can be charged in about 10 minutes.
This step forward comes from an engineering team led by Chao-Yang Wang who is responsible for some impressive advances in recent years. In 2016, they addressed the problems of lithium batteries in cold climates by integrating a self-regulating temperature mechanism. In 2019 they worked on a lithium battery prototype that could be charged at high temperatures without degradation.
On the basis of this research comes the culmination. They then showed that an electric vehicle battery could be charged in 10 minutes to offer a range of between 320 and 480 km. Scientists continued to work on this technology and, combining this fast charging time with higher energy density, comes this new prototype battery.
As in previous research they employ a nickel foil heating element to accommodate faster charge times. The latest version of the battery features an energy density of 265Wh/kg, (for 209 Wh/kg of the previous version). This energy density and short charging time are an unprecedented combination and could open up many possibilities in electric vehicle design.
Battery charged to 70% in 11 minutes for 2,000 cycles, which according to the team is equivalent to half a million miles traveled (804,672 km) only by fast charging. This new battery technology would open the door to smaller, more energy-dense, cheaper battery packs that can also be recharged quickly.
Granted, the proper charging infrastructure would be lacking, but if the charging time is just 10 minutes and there is no battery degradation, it would be very easy for it to gain popularity. Additionally, this fast-charging technology works for most energy-dense batteries and could reduce the size of batteries of electric vehicles from 150 to 50 kWh without any problem… reducing the price of the car. It would also lower the use of critical raw materials such as cobalt, graphite and lithium, favoring the arrival of affordable electric cars.