New electric car batteries can charge in five-minutes

Before you rush out and grab yourself a nifty electric car though, it’s worth noting that these ridiculously quick charging times won’t be available right out of the gate.

StoreDot says that much more powerful chargers will be needed worldwide before these batteries can be charged at maximum speed, but it is aiming to deliver 100 miles worth of power within five minutes by 2025 using currently available charging ports.

That’s still a highly impressive feat that could change the industry significantly for regular, everyday buyers.

In a statement, StoreDot CEO Doron Myersdorf said that the ‘number one barrier’ stopping electric vehicle adoption is range anxiety. ‘You’re either afraid you’re going to get stuck on the highway or you’re going to need to sit in a charging station for two hours. If the experience is exactly like fueling a petrol car, this whole anxiety goes away’.

Other companies like Tesla, Sila Nanotechnologies, and Enevate are also developing fast-charging batteries in the hopes of transforming global carbon neutrality efforts. Elon Musk recently stressed the urgency of battery development, describing it as a ‘very important problem’ – and if that doesn’t get you on board, what will?

Battery cell production is the fundamental rate-limiter slowing down a sustainable energy future. Very important problem. https://t.co/MYOUSAC2AK

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 18, 2021

While companies are hoping to have these batteries rolled out to the masses within the next five years, some academics are sceptical of the time frame.

Anna Tomaszewska at Imperial College London, who examined fast charging batteries two years ago, is adamant that they’ll remain exclusive to niche markets that are focused on performance rather than price, at least at first. ‘They’ll [still] be more difficult and expensive to manufacture’ than regular cars, she reasoned.

Still, it seems we’re on the edge of a major breakthrough for batteries. The implications could be huge, not only for sustainable electric vehicles, but also for our phones, tablets, and other devices. Imagine an iPhone charging in a few minutes and lasting for weeks. I know my overly stuffed cupboard full of forgotten wires could do with a clear out, at the very least.

Perhaps we’ll all be driving snazzy, fast-charging cars before too long – it’ll be a nothing short of a necessity if we seriously want to reach those carbon zero goals.