Engineering news
Israeli firm StoreDot, which has previously demonstrated five-minute charging of scooters and drones, announced the availability of its first-generation battery samples today (19 January).
The release “represents a significant milestone for the company in its mission to eliminate the range and charging anxiety of EVs, demonstrating the commercial viability of extreme fast charging (XFC) batteries for the first time via a small form-factor battery cell,” the company said.
StoreDot is releasing the first production batch of sample cells, which are targeted at showcasing the technology to potential EV and industry partners. The battery could also offer ultra-fast charging to a number of other industries, such as commercial drones and consumer electronics.
The first-generation engineering samples demonstrate the successful replacement of graphite in the cell’s anode with metalloid nanoparticles. StoreDot described the replacement as a “key breakthrough” that could help overcome major issues in safety, battery cycle life and swelling.
The sample cells were produced by StoreDot’s strategic partner Eve Energy in China. Unlike other technologies, StoreDot XFC batteries are designed to be produced on existing Li-ion production lines.
Dr Doron Myersdorf, CEO of StoreDot, said: “StoreDot continues to go from strength to strength as we get one step closer to making our vision of five-minute charging of EVs a commercial reality.
“Our team of top scientists has overcome inherent challenges of XFC such as safety, cycle life and swelling by harnessing innovative materials and cell design.
“Today’s announcement marks an important milestone, moving XFC for the first time beyond innovation in the lab to a commercially-viable product that is scalable for mass production. This paves the way for the launch of our second-generation, silicon-dominant anode prototype battery for electric vehicles later this year.”
He added: “We founded StoreDot to achieve what many said could never be done – develop batteries capable of delivering a full charge in just five minutes. We have shown that this level of XFC charging is possible – first in 2019 with an electric scooter and again six months ago with a commercial drone. We are proud to make these samples available, but today’s milestone is just the beginning. We’re on the cusp of achieving a revolution in the EV charging experience that will remove the critical barrier to mass adoption of EVs.”
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