Any EV owner can tell you that getting used to waiting for your battery to charge takes some patience. But along with saving the planet, driving an EV can also save you some money, especially with gas prices continuing to rise.
The tech development company Quantumscape has announced the creation of solid-state batteries that can fast-charge in under 30 minutes, through 400 consecutive cycles. If these can gain traction, this would be a big step for the EV industry.
Why are Quantumscape’s batteries a big deal?
To put Quantumspace’s developments into perspective, Electrek
explains that, assuming an EV has a 300-mile battery range, 400 charges would allow it to travel 120,000 miles—the approximate equivalent to owning the car for a decade. That being said, Quantumspace’s solid-state batteries taking 15 minutes to charge on a DC fast-charger and holding their capacity through those 400 charges is extremely impressive.
Fast-charging is becoming one of the most popular methods of EV charging, but it can quickly take a toll on a vehicle’s battery. The difference with Quantumspace is that fast-charging doesn’t seem to affect their battery’s capacity.
What is a solid-state battery?
A lithium-ion battery uses a liquid electrolyte solution to help power our cars, phones, tablets, and more. However, a solid-state battery uses a solid electrolyte instead of liquid, and because of this, it has a much higher energy density than a lithium-ion battery.
Additionally, because there’s no liquid solution, a car accident involving a solid-state battery-powered EV is less likely to involve a fire or explosion. The lack of liquid means a chemical reaction can’t occur as a result of the solid-state battery being punctured or crushed.
Will fast-charging, solid-state batteries stick around?
Absolutely—they represent the current peak of EV battery technology. One of the main concerns cited by gas-powered car owners is that purchasing an EV would mean waiting for hours in the driveway or at the charging station in-between battery cycles.
They aren’t wrong to be frustrated by how long it takes to charge an EV. Nevertheless, if companies like Quantumscape are able to lower the recharge difference between EVs and gas-powered vehicles, more people will be likely to switch. As EV charging times are reduced, automakers will likely look for other innovative paths to explore.
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