StoreDot says that its technology has reached a sufficient number of charging and discharging cycles that will enable vehicle manufacturers to include a smaller battery pack capable of XFC. Smaller packs with XFC translate into improved EV specifications including better car efficiency, increased utilisation of regenerative braking, reduced carbon footprint and lower costs. As a result, such affordable and lighter EVs will serve a broader audience and further enhance the adoption and transition to EVs.
The company is now on track to deliver its 100in5 silicon-dominant extreme fast charging batteries to EV OEMs by next year. StoreDot says the technology will deliver 100 miles, or 160 km of range in just five minutes of charge, meaning that EV drivers will no longer need to worry about the range between charges, or charging times, allowing car makers to re-evaluate the specifications of electric vehicles. As a result, OEMs will be able to optimise a vehicle’s weight and cost, rather than pushing for ever greater range and battery size.
Downsizing from an average premium vehicle requiring an 80 kWh to a 50 kWh battery pack could save approximately 200 kg from the EV’s weight (the equivalent weight of 3-4 people) and importantly, could reduce the build cost of the car by $4,500, depending on metal cost fluctuations and energy density improvements. The environmental impact of such a design change will be highly significant too as it will lower amount of raw materials used in each vehicle, reducing its EV carbon footprint throughout its lifecycle. XFC in smaller packs also means efficient regenerative braking as it can accommodate the corresponding recuperated high currents.
“Up until recently OEMs were increasing the size of battery packs in their EVs because a proportion of drivers were transitioning from gas to electric for the first time with the known ‘range anxiety’ in their minds” said Dr Doron Myersdorf, StoreDot CEO. “Those drivers, and anyone who is an EV advocate now realize that range anxiety is no longer the most pressing issue - and won’t even be an issue at all once public charging infrastructure around the world is properly in place. The two remaining barriers to EV ownership are charging anxiety and cost, and StoreDot’s XFC solution was designed to assist with both. Radically reduced charging times will allow automotive manufacturers to rethink how they approach battery size and range. When charging times are no longer an issue, it makes a lot more sense to fit smaller battery packs. The cost savings could transform the accessibility of EVs and sustainability of batteries, with better car efficiency, fewer raw materials needed and less recycling at the end of their in-vehicle life.”
StoreDot’s groundbreaking XFC battery cells are now being tested by over 15 global automotive manufacturers, while the company continues to develop its manufacturing partnerships on a global scale.
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