Polestar and StoreDot announce EV battery breakthrough for “extreme fast charging”

Swedish electric vehicle (EV) maker Polestar and Israeli battery manufacturer StoreDot have announced a major breakthrough in EV battery charging, saying they have successfully charged a Polestar 5 electric hatchback from 10 to 80 per cent in just 10 minutes.

The two companies said StoreDot’s Extreme Fast Charging (XFC) technology had been used in a car for the first time, charging a Polestar 5 prototype at a consistent charge rate starting at 310kW and rising to a peak in excess of 370kW at the end of charging.

This marks the first demonstration of a 10-minute extreme fast charge using silicon-dominant cells in a driveable vehicle – as compared to individual cells in a laboratory environment.

Utilising silicon-dominant cells, StoreDot’s XFC technology is still able to provide an energy density on par with state-of-the-art nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) cells, while also removing the need for specialist cooling systems.

Production of the batteries will not require separate production lines to existing lithium-ion batteries and offer high recyclability and serviceability. The XFC technology also offers a long cycle life while delivering steady and consistent charging rates.

“This breakthrough revolutionises ownership by eradicating the barrier of range and charging anxiety once and for all, as drivers will be able to travel long distances with the same freedom and convenience as traditional fossil fuel-powered vehicles,” said Dr Doron Myersdorf, CEO of StoreDot.

Though the 77kWh battery pack was specially commissioned for the Polestar 5 demonstration it nevertheless highlights the potential to add 320 kilometres of range to a mid-sized EV in only 10 minutes.

Polestar says the 77kWh battery pack has the potential to be increased to at least 100kWh.

“Time is one of life’s greatest luxuries, and as a manufacturer of luxury electric performance cars, we need to take the next step to address one of the biggest barriers to EV ownership – charging anxiety,” said Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO.

“With this new technology, on longer journeys when drivers do stop, they’ll be able to spend less time charging and be back on the road faster than before. In fact, that stop time will be more akin to what they experience with a petrol car today.”

A film showing the testing procedure can be found here: https://www.polestar.com/global/news/how-we-charged-a-polestar-in-10-minutes/