A Cambridge-based battery company has come up with a breakthrough that could provide relief to EV users battling lengthy plug-in times.
Nyobolt has developed an electric car that can be charged in just five minutes and has a range of 155 miles, according to media reports.
Last week Nyobolt held its first live demonstration on a test track in Bedford. The concept car charged from 10 per cent to 80 per cent in four minutes and 37 seconds.
This duration could match with filling up a petrol car.
It takes 15 minutes to charge a Tesla Model 3 to around 80 per cent, while many vehicles take significantly longer time.
Nyobolt said it has no plans to manufacture cars, but is in talks with eight carmakers about using the battery technology.
Long duration plug-in times mean long wait for other drivers at charging bays. This also fuels “range anxiety” - the fear motorists that they will be unable to recharge their batteries.
Nyobolt’s batteries use carbon and metal oxide materials in the anode – the part of the battery that releases electrons to a circuit that powers the car.
This allows it to be charged at higher speeds than car batteries without the risk of degradation or fire. Nyobolt claims the battery would charge up to 80 per cent even after 4,000 cycles.
Nyobolt co-founder Dr Sai Shivareddy told the BBC he was pleased with the results and described it as “a big milestone for electrification”.
The company has developed the battery using research findings at Cambridge University’s chemistry department.
Globally there is a race to develop faster-charging batteries that are more powerful, lighter, and durable.
Toyota claimed last year that it had developed a battery that could charge in ten minutes and last 754 miles.
US start-up Gravity has developed a charger that can add 200 miles of range to an electric vehicle in under 13 minutes.
Damian Talbot