Five-minute EV fast charge technology announced

Technology allowing extreme fast charging of EVs in only five minutes has been announced by Enevate Corporation, a Californian lithium-ion battery tech company.

It says HD-Energy technology for EVs features five-minute charging with high energy density and a long driving range adding up to 390km —or up to 80km range with a 60-second charge.

This fast charge and very short charging times are better than any other lithium-ion technology available, while meeting automotive requirements for energy density, range, and cost, the company says.

Enevate licenses its silicon-dominant HD-Energy Technology to battery and EV automotive manufacturers and suppliers worldwide.

This new extreme fast charge technology breaks down the barriers to EV adoption, the company says.

EVs have been challenged primarily due to their limited range and drivers’ range anxiety, long charge times, and high cost.

The ground-breaking battery technology in EV cells (NCM-based) can be charged in five minutes at up to a tested 10C charging rate to 75% capacity with uncompromised range and energy densities of over 750Wh/L, where conventional graphite cells suffer significant degradation with extreme fast charging.

It allows flow through charging stations where EV drivers wait just a few minutes to fill up. With such short charging times, smaller batteries can be used in some EVs, making them much more affordable, the company says.

“The benefits of Enevate’s technology enable features that take EVs to the next level,” founder and chief technology officer Dr Benjamin Park says.

“Extreme fast charges for very short and convenient charging times, higher energy density leading to longer driving ranges, and cold temperature operation with inherent safety advantages make this technology ideal for electric vehicles.”

It can safely charge and discharge down to minus 40°C and capture more energy during regenerative braking, extending range in cold climates.

A key safety benefit is that Enevate’s technology is inherently resistant to lithium-plating during fast charge and also during charging in low temperatures, which is a major challenge for conventional graphite lithium-ion cells.

Lithium-ion battery pioneer Dr John Goodenough at University of Texas in Austin agrees.

“Enevate’s film-based silicon-dominant anode and cell is a truly novel approach and great practical fit for use in EVs addressing the major barriers to EV adoption.”