Israeli EV battery developer StoreDot has passed another milestone this week, shipping its “extreme fast charging” battery cells that have exceeded 1,000 recharge cycles to global automotive OEMs.
Development of StoreDot’s extreme fast charging, or XFC battery cells, has been ongoing for some time now. The company, founded in 2012, has targeted the goal of delivering electric vehicle (EV) batteries that can recharge 160 kilometres (100 miles – hence the common ‘100in5’ moniker) in 5 minutes by 2024.
But that is only the first step for StoreDot, which is aiming to deliver by the early 2030s EV batteries that can recharge in only 2 minutes.
StoreDot announced on Tuesday the next milestone on its pathway to reaching mass production of 100in5 cells by 2024, revealing that it has begun shipping battery cells that are capable of over 1,000 consecutive recharge cycles.
Put to the test
The 300Wh/kg, 700 Wh/l high energy density cells have been repeatedly charged from 10% to 80% capacity in just 10 minutes, and then discharged for one hour before recharging.
According to StoreDot, the EV battery cells achieved over 1,000 of these extreme charging cycles consecutively before degrading below the 80% threshold.
Importantly, no noticeable degradation was detected within the first 600 recharge cycles.
“The latest tests represent a landmark not just for StoreDot, but also the global battery industry and the entire sustainable mobility ecosystem,” said Yaron Fein, StoreDot vice president of research & development.
“Our product performance goal for 2022 was to reach 1000 cycles of consecutive extreme fast charging of 10 to 80 percent in ten minutes, with an energy density of at least 300Wh/Kg.
“I am delighted to announce that not only have we achieved our target but have also exceeded it – and we already have in our labs enhanced formulation that allows us to show further improved performance.
“This is the first time ever that cell performance of this magnitude has been achieved. The results stand testament to StoreDot’s relentless R&D drive, the enthusiasm of everyone in the company and to the Extreme Fast Charging vision we share with our partners.”
Real-world progress
Despite the relentless conjecture of some critics, StoreDot has made solid progress throughout the development of its batteries – as is necessary in any evolutionary technological leap.
StoreDot has signed numerous agreements with potential customers – including automakers Volvo and Polestar – suggesting much more than just a hyped fancy. And in early 2021 the company began delivering engineering samples to prospective customers.
The validity of StoreDot’s development was further demonstrated last month when the company dispatched 30Ah pouch EV cells for real-world testing to investors including Daimler, VinFast, Volvo, Polestar, and Ola Electric.
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.