Huawei unveils new fast-charging Li-ion batteries
15 November 2015
Researchers from Watt Lab, part of the Central Research Institute at Huawei Technology Corporation, unveiled new quick charging lithium-ion batteries at the 56th Battery Symposium in Japan. The new batteries charge 10 times faster than conventional Li-ion batteries, reaching about 50% capacity in mere minutes.
Huawei presented videos of the two types of quick charging lithium-ion batteries: one battery with a 600 mAh capacity that can be charged to 68% capacity in two minutes; another with a 3000 mAh capacity and an energy density above 620 Wh/L, which can be charged to 48% capacity in five minutes to allow ten hours of phone call on Huawei mobile phones.
To develop the fast-charing cells, Huawei engineers bonded heteroatoms to the graphite molecules in the anode. Introducing defects and heteroatom and/or functional groups into carbonaceous anode materials has been shown in other work to increase available active sites and effectively modulate the electronic and chemical character of the anode material.
Huawei stated that the heteroatoms increase the charging speed of batteries without decreasing energy density or battery life.
48% in 5 minutes looks like the final nail in the coffin of hydrogen cars.
Posted by: Engineer-Poet | 15 November 2015 at 08:35 AM
If you like to stop every 100 KM or so to find a fast charging station while in heavy traffic in a cold winter snow storm?
No thanks, I need 500 KM e-range because getting stuck without electrons (and/or cabin heat) on a very cold snow day is not funny.
Posted by: HarveyD | 15 November 2015 at 08:53 AM
OTOH, quicker charging would help TESLAs S-90 and similar e-vehicles.
Posted by: HarveyD | 15 November 2015 at 08:55 AM
They are talking phone batteries, not car batteries.
The power requirements for very high speed large battery charging would be horrendous.
@Harvey, a PHEV or ICE assisted vehicle would solve that.
+ maybe you would just use an ICE for long trips in winter.
There'll be plenty of them hanging around if people switch to BEVs en-mass.
Posted by: mahonj | 15 November 2015 at 01:30 PM
Very interesting specs. I wonder what the cycle life is like? Probably really good considering the rapid charge capabilities as they usually correlate fairly well.
Posted by: DaveD | 15 November 2015 at 06:30 PM
@Harvey it seems that specialized heating requirements could be met with a combination of block heater type charging for pre-conditioning (including cabin heat) and liquid or gas fuel heaters (petrol, ethanol, CNG) for trips away from mains power.
As Mahonj points out, A PHEV provides both longer range and plenty of excess heat, but 100+ MPGe when conditions permit.
What, in your view, makes this an unacceptable solution until better energy density and wider operating range make PHEV unnecessary?
Posted by: electric-car-insider.com | 16 November 2015 at 07:06 AM
Harvey can speak for himself I know but I can remember him saying min 500 km or 300 miles. I think most people think like that and that they are right as you don't want a car that can't handle all situations you may face.
I hope that Tesla does not make a Model III that cannot be upgraded to min 300 miles range. Their intro model may start at over 200 miles EPA rated but their top of the line should do over 300 miles. In my opinion the Model X and S still lacks a bigger battery pack option in order to be perfect.
Posted by: Account Deleted | 16 November 2015 at 12:43 PM
Affordable minimum (500 Km) quick charge extended range BEVs should be around between 2020 and 2025.
Meanwhile, TESLA S-90 to S120+ models and (lower cost) recent FCEVs will have to do the job.
Alternatively, many 80+ to 100+ mpge PHEVs could fill the gap.
Posted by: HarveyD | 16 November 2015 at 06:10 PM
At second though I think this is potentially big news and a big breakthrough. I tend to dismiss all these battery announcements because they come from start-ups and they usually only tell us the good news not the other negative side of the story. Huawei is not a start-up but one of the largest companies on the planet. Also they say they have found a way to make super fast charging batteries without compromising life or energy density. This is key because so far all available super fast charging batteries have low energy density. So this is a breakthrough.
Now Huawei needs to make a charging controller that can take 100 watt and fit inside a Smartphone without adding much weight either and not overheating. Them hopefully in two more years we will see some actual Smartphones and other gadgets with this technology. It will be a huge step forward especially for smart watches that you should wear day and night for best heath tracking and therefore can't charge in any easy way today.
Posted by: Account Deleted | 17 November 2015 at 03:09 AM
Cell phones, not cars guys. Some are pushing a 150 kW charging scheme that would give cars 50 kWh in 20 minutes, that could change trips a bit.
Posted by: SJC | 18 November 2015 at 10:15 AM
The Teslas are powered by laptop batteries.
Posted by: Engineer-Poet | 18 November 2015 at 12:16 PM