Electric car battery charges in under five minutes in track test

A UK start-up named Nyobolt has developed an electric car battery that can charge from 10% to 80% in just four minutes and 37 seconds. This impressive feat was achieved using a specially-built concept sports car on a test track in Bedford. Typically, a Tesla supercharger takes between 15 to 20 minutes to charge a car battery to 80%. Experts believe that faster charging times are crucial for increasing the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). However, they also emphasize the need for a more extensive charging infrastructure. Paul Shearing, a professor of Sustainable Energy Engineering at Oxford University, mentioned that people want fast-charging options regardless of the type of car they own. The sports car equipped with the Nyobolt battery was tested over two days and managed to achieve a range of 120 miles after just four minutes of charging. In comparison, a Tesla charged to 80% typically offers a range of up to 200 miles. Dr. Sai Shivareddy, co-founder of Nyobolt, expressed his satisfaction with the results but admitted that the tests were nerve-wracking. The live demonstration was conducted in front of an audience of industry professionals for the first time and encountered several challenges. These included a heatwave, a failure in the car's cooling system, and the use of a standard on-site charger not made by Nyobolt. These issues prevented the company from replicating their laboratory results, where the battery can charge from 0% to 100% in six minutes. Despite these setbacks, Dr. Shivareddy described the event as a significant milestone for electrification and humorously noted that his own car was still charging. Nyobolt does not intend to manufacture its own vehicles but plans to partner with existing car brands. They aim to have the battery integrated into some EVs on a small scale within a year. The powerful 350kW DC superfast chargers required for this battery are available in the UK but are not yet widespread. The company also claims that the battery has minimized degradation, maintaining 80% charge capacity after 4,000 cycles. A full cycle is defined as a charge from 0% to 100%, but this can be achieved in parts. For instance, two charges of 50% would count as one cycle. For comparison, the iPhone 15 battery is expected to retain 80% functionality after 1,000 cycles. There is a global race to develop faster-charging batteries that are also more powerful, lighter, and durable. Last year, Toyota announced a technical breakthrough that would enable them to develop a solid-state battery capable of charging in ten minutes and lasting 1,200 km. Additionally, a US start-up named Gravity has developed a compact charger that can add 200 miles of range to an electric vehicle in under 13 minutes. However, Dr. Edward Brightman, a lecturer in chemical engineering at Strathclyde University, pointed out that while rapid charging is beneficial for long journeys, the real barrier to the widespread adoption of electric vehicles lies in the supporting infrastructure. He emphasized that electric cars are no longer limited by their batteries, but there is an urgent need to upgrade the grid and deploy rapid chargers capable of delivering the necessary charge to the battery.