Israel’s StoreDot unveils “5-minute charge” EV battery

Israeli lithium-ion battery developer StoreDot has unveiled engineering samples of its first-generation 5-minute charge battery which the company claims proves the commercial viability of its extreme fast-charging battery technology – a claim which, if true, could revolutionise the EV industry and remove the last barriers to entry.

Founded in 2012, StoreDot bills itself as a pioneer of “extreme fast charging (XFC) batteries that overcome the critical barrier to mainstream EV adoption – range and charging anxiety.”

On Tuesday, StoreDot announced the availability of its first-generation 5-minute charge battery engineering samples which are targeted at showcasing the battery technology to potential EV and industry partners.

Utilising nano-scale metalloids and proprietary compounds, samples of StoreDot’s extreme fast charging (XFC) battery technology are intended to demonstrate to electric vehicle and battery manufacturers the successful replacement of graphite in the cell’s anode – a development breakthrough the company expects will overcome major issues in safety, battery cycle life, and swelling.

The XFC battery samples were announced as available to potential EV and industry partners at the same time as a demonstration video was published, showing the full charge of a two-wheeled EV in just 5 minutes.

StoreDot further hopes that their new battery technology could be beneficial to other industries, also, such as commercial drones and consumer electronics. The multifaceted application of StoreDot’s XFC battery was highlighted in mid-2020 when the company showed off a 5-minute charge of a commercial drone.

Produced by StoreDot’s strategic partner in China, EVE Energy, the new XFC battery cells do not require a redesign of manufacturing equipment, being designed to be produced on existing lithium-ion battery production lines.

“StoreDot continues to go from strength to strength as we get one step closer to making our vision of 5-minute charging of EVs a commercial reality,” said Dr Doron Myersdorf, CEO of StoreDot.

“Our team of top scientists has overcome inherent challenges of XFC such as safety, cycle life and swelling by harnessing innovative materials and cell design. Today’s announcement marks an important milestone, moving XFC for the first time beyond innovation in the lab to a commercially viable product that is scalable for mass production.

“This paves the way for the launch of our second-generation, silicon-dominant anode prototype battery for electric vehicles later this year.”

Backed by several strategic partners – including big names like BP and Daimler, along with EVE – StoreDot’s technology is a combination of gradient layers of nanomaterials and proprietary organic compounds – avoiding the need for graphite, reducing the risk of flammability and high-temperature combustion.

In addition to the applicatory benefits – fast charging and increased safety – if successful, StoreDot’s XFC battery would also provide a manufacturing benefit, reducing reliance on rare-earth materials which, as suggested by the name, are rare and therefore expensive and require potentially environmentally damaging mining operations.

“We founded StoreDot to achieve what many said could never be done – develop batteries capable of delivering a full charge in just five minutes,” said Dr Myersdorf.

“We have shown that this level of XFC charging is possible – first in 2019 with an electric scooter and again six months ago with a commercial drone. We are proud to make these samples available, but today’s milestone is just the beginning.

“We’re on the cusp of achieving a revolution in the EV charging experience that will remove the critical barrier to mass adoption of EVs.”