Geely says artificial intelligence could extend electric vehicle battery life by 20% during repeated ultra-fast charging, as the Chinese automaker shifts attention from charging speed to battery durability.

The claim was made as Geely unveiled its new Smart Charging system in Ningbo. The company says the system uses Xingrui PowerMind, an energy AI model developed with Chinese AI company StepFun, to predict battery temperature up to 30 seconds ahead and adjust charging power before excessive heat develops.

Geely says the technology controls peak current, cooling intensity and charging duration for each vehicle and battery. During fast charging, it aims to maintain an average battery temperature of around 55°C, while keeping the peak below 65°C.

The system also combines five-point liquid cooling covering the charging station, charger, cable, charging port and battery pack. Geely says this integrated approach helps manage heat throughout the charging chain.

However, the headline 20% battery-life improvement comes with significant unanswered questions. Geely has not disclosed the baseline cycle life, battery chemistry, charging rate, number of cycles or test conditions used to produce the figure.

It also has not published detailed technical data supporting its separate claim that pulse charging can restore lithium affected by repeated fast charging.

That makes the 20% figure difficult to translate into real-world terms. It should not currently be interpreted as meaning an EV will necessarily last 20% longer or travel 20% more kilometres before its battery degrades.

The challenge is becoming increasingly important as Chinese manufacturers push charging rates to unprecedented levels. CATL and BYD are also promoting batteries capable of combining ultra-fast charging with long service lives.

For Geely, the next step will be demonstrating that its AI-controlled charging and cooling system can preserve battery health under repeated ultra-fast charging in independently verified, long-duration testing.