GOTHENBURG,
SWEDEN – 29 April 2024. Polestar and fast-charging battery pioneer StoreDot have successfully
demonstrated the implementation of StoreDot’s Extreme Fast Charging (XFC)
technology in a car for the first time, charging a Polestar 5 prototype from
10-80% in just 10 minutes. The fully driveable verification prototype saw a
consistent charge rate starting at 310 kW and rising to a peak in excess of 370
kW at the end of charging.
This
world-first demonstration of a 10 minute 10-80% extreme fast charge using
silicon-dominant cells in a driveable vehicle – rather than individual cells in
a laboratory environment – is the continuation of Polestar’s commitment to
developing the best driving experience for the future through innovative
technology partnerships. The specially commissioned 77 kWh battery pack – which
has the potential to be increased to at least 100 kWh, could add 200 miles (320
km) of range to a mid-sized electric car in 10 minutes.
This XFC
test by Polestar and StoreDot battery engineers was designed to demonstrate
proof-of-concept for XFC battery technology that could be applied to future
Polestar vehicles.
Thomas
Ingenlath, Polestar CEO, says: “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.
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.”
StoreDot’s
revolutionary XFC technology utilises silicon-dominant cells with an energy
density on par with state-of-the-art NMC cells, and does not require specialist
cooling systems in the vehicle. The experimental XFC battery’s modules have a
structural function which improves mechanical properties and cooling ability
while maintaining or reducing weight levels, with high recyclability and
serviceability also paramount in the design of the pack.
In today's
commercial EV batteries, fast charging rates can vary greatly depending on the
battery’s state of charge (SOC), sometimes dropping significantly as SOC
increases. During this test, Polestar saw charging speed rise from 310 kW at
10% SOC to over 370 kW at 80% SOC, proving the technology’s steady charging
rate with no significant change in charging speed or efficiency whenever a
driver decides to stop within this wide state-of-charge range.
Importantly,
the test proves XFC technology works with today’s DC charging infrastructure,
which continues to feature more high-power DC chargers of 350 kW or
higher.
This means
drivers will be able to spend less time stopped to charge their vehicle, which
for a 10-80% charge on many modern EVs could still take around 30 minutes. By
reducing that time to 10 minutes, the charging time for a vehicle with XFC
technology is much closer to what you would experience when filling a car with
petrol. And thanks to the consistent charge speeds on offer, with a suitable
charger, consumers could stop for five minutes at 50% SOC and continue their
journey with over 80% SOC.
Dr Doron
Myersdorf, CEO of StoreDot, comments: "We are very excited to share this
impressive achievement today and proud to be on this journey with Polestar.
Polestar’s commitment acknowledges that extreme fast charging technology is
necessary to make widespread electric car adoption a reality. 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."
A film
showing the testing procedure can be found here: https://www.polestar.com/global/news/how-we-charged-a-polestar-in-10-minutes/
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