Polestar and StoreDot successfully charge Polestar 5 prototype from 10-80% in 10 minutes
30 April 2024
Polestar and fast-charging battery pioneer StoreDot have successfully demonstrated the implementation of StoreDot’s Extreme Fast Charging (XFC) technology in a car for the first time, charging a Polestar 5 prototype from 10-80% in just 10 minutes.
The fully driveable verification prototype saw a consistent charge rate starting at 310 kW and rising to a peak in excess of 370 kW at the end of charging.
This was a world-first demonstration of a 10 minute 10-80% extreme fast charge using silicon-dominant cells in a driveable vehicle, rather than individual cells in a laboratory environment, Polestar said. The specially commissioned 77 kWh battery pack—which has the potential to be increased to at least 100 kWh, could add 200 miles (320 km) of range to a mid-sized electric car in 10 minutes.
This XFC test by Polestar and StoreDot battery engineers was designed to demonstrate proof-of-concept for XFC battery technology that could be applied to future Polestar vehicles.
StoreDot’s XFC technology utilizes silicon-dominant cells with an energy density on par with state-of-the-art NMC cells, and does not require specialist cooling systems in the vehicle. The experimental XFC battery’s modules have a structural function which improves mechanical properties and cooling ability while maintaining or reducing weight levels, with high recyclability and serviceability also paramount in the design of the pack.
In today's commercial EV batteries, fast charging rates can vary greatly depending on the battery’s state of charge (SOC), sometimes dropping significantly as SOC increases. During this test, Polestar saw charging speed rise from 310 kW at 10% SOC to more than 370 kW at 80% SOC, proving the technology’s steady charging rate with no significant change in charging speed or efficiency whenever a driver decides to stop within this wide state-of-charge range.
The test also shows that XFC technology works with today’s DC charging infrastructure, which continues to feature more high-power DC chargers of 350 kW or higher.
Wow. Impressive performance. The implication of charging at this rate on fast charger site decongestion is significant.
I wonder how long it will take to deploy a fast charge network that can keep up on scale.
Posted by: electric-car-insider.com | 30 April 2024 at 07:18 AM
This could effectively mitigate the advantages in charging times that fossil fuels and hydrogen have. Combining this with a swapping system like Evogo or Ample could address the lack of production scale and high initial costs that are invariably associated with limited initial production capacity.
Posted by: Gasbag | 30 April 2024 at 07:24 AM
Maybe we can all stop worrying about charging time?
Modern EVs now charge from 20-80% in around 20 minutes. Soon it will take half as long, but any further improvement will be inconsequential. How fast do we need to charge anyway? Do you need to do a Nascar-style pit stop on the way to grandma's house?
The more important parts of this press release is that new batteries are designed for serviceability as well as recyclability. It's much better to replace a few bad cells than to recycle a whole battery pack.
Posted by: Bernard | 30 April 2024 at 07:25 AM
Bernard,
Agree completely. With the caveat that faster charging allows more cars using the same charger per hour, i.e. requiring fewer chargers, or importantly in some areas, require less footprint.
With 10 minute charging it starts to become relevant to own an EV without home charging. For instance, in London only a small fraction of residents have even the opportunity for home charging.
I am the happy owner of a BMW i4 and I wouldn't mind faster charging, but it's also not a deal breaker. I charge away less than once a month, and usually just a top-off. Thus, I expect to be able to get a decent used price after 5-6 years of ownership. I also believe/hope that the very low cost of operating an EV will result in a higher price floor for used EVs, despite less-than-stellar range at that point.
Posted by: Thomas Pedersen | 30 April 2024 at 08:07 AM
@Thomas Pedersen
Your next BMW could probably have these batteries.
Rimac is working with BMW. Rimac is working with EVE Power. EVE Power is working with StoreDot. EVE Power is building a battery plant in Hungary.
Posted by: Gryf | 30 April 2024 at 08:37 AM
This will be fine as long as long as you can get megawatt and multi megawatt power links to the charging stations, and you would also want to check the price per kWh for 300KW charging.
Also, what if some clown plugs in and wanders off for a cup of coffee and forgets to come back in 10 minutes ...
Posted by: mahonj | 30 April 2024 at 08:39 AM
The resale value for an electric car should hold, on the downside is the eight year warranty, what will a new pack cost if it's out of warranty, those are big issues.
Posted by: SJC | 30 April 2024 at 08:45 AM
Here in California EA already has a network of 350kW chargers already in place. If you get outside the network you may have to deign to using Tesla Superchargers.
California electricity prices are some of the highest in the US. While the rates at EAAre high (50c per kWh) they are still less than gas for a Prius and they would typically only be paid when on a road trip.
Posted by: Gasbag | 30 April 2024 at 09:30 AM
Mahonj,
You found the downside. Current EVs barely give you enough time to use a washroom and get a snack. Ultrafast charging means going back to the days when you had to stand around waiting for your car to "fill up" before you could go and do these things.
SJC, that's why the point about serviceability is important. You don't need to replace a whole pack if your current pack can be serviced. It's unlikely that every cell in a pack has gone bad. Usually it's one or two bad cells that limit the amount of charge that can be given to the whole pack.
Posted by: Bernard | 30 April 2024 at 10:14 AM
The only serviceable pack I'm aware of is the LEAF from Nissan.
Posted by: SJC | 01 May 2024 at 05:19 AM
SJC, the Leaf is the one you hear about the most because it's notoriously unreliable (no thermal management), most Leafs are out of warranty, and Nissan won't fix them.
It's no more serviceable than any other pack, but independent service centres have had to learn how to fix them.
Posted by: Bernard | 01 May 2024 at 06:04 AM
Gryf,
I am less worried about my next car as I am about the resale value of the current one...
Bernard,
When I use my EV to go 1,000 miles down through Europe, it's only at about every other stop where I enjoy the break. Oftentimes the required breaks come at inconvenient times. But perhaps more importantly, the slow charging rate when the battery is >70% full drives down the optimum speed of driving, which is both boring and slowing the journey.
Posted by: Thomas Pedersen | 03 May 2024 at 02:54 AM