To begin with, it is a laboratory reality, however, the milestone to produce electric cars capable of fully recharging in five minutes has moved a step closer. StoreDot is an Israeli based company at the forefront of electric battery technology and has demonstrated an “extremely fast-charging” battery to clients and potential new investors. StoreDot’s current investors include TDK, Samsung, BP and Daimler. The company claims laboratory results showed a viable charge rate of 100 percent in five minutes for a typical electric car. Although the short-term aim is to deliver 100 miles of charge in five minutes by 2025.
In a press briefing CEO of StoreDot, Doron Myersdorf explained:
“The number one barrier to the adoption of electric vehicles is no longer cost, it is range anxiety. A five-minute charging lithium-ion battery was considered to be impossible”
“But we are not releasing a lab prototype, we are releasing engineering samples from a mass production line. This demonstrates it is feasible and it’s commercially ready.”
StoreDot has replaced the graphite component used in a typical lithium-ion battery with germanium based semiconductor nanoparticles. Germanium is easier to manufacture and is water-soluble and causes no issues with the lithium-ion component of the battery. Graphite-based Lithium-ion batteries are prone to a build-up of metal “congestion”, a result of the two elements reacting overtime when charging and discharging.
However, StoreDot is planning future battery prototypes to be based on silicon which is much cheaper and more reliable. That said the cost of StoreDot’s next-generation batteries would still be on par with existing lithium-ion batteries. Fast charging batteries are the holy grail for the electric car industry and StoreDot is not alone within the battery industry in making “breakthrough” claims.
It may well be the case that StoreDot is seeking to raise more venture capital, the company has already raised $130m. And news of their latest development can be used as leverage to existing and new investors.
