Range anxiety is becoming less of an issue for prospective EV buyers. Battery manufacturers and automakers are developing electric propulsion systems that can deliver hundreds of miles on a charge, which makes the fear of running out of battery power seem like a distant memory.
One thing that hasn't changed enough, however, is charging times. There are efforts to change that, and the latest comes from an Israeli company called StoreDot, whose new 4680 battery has a claimed ten-minute full recharge time.
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Electric cars with the fastest charging times still take longer to replenish range than stopping at a gas station, though after three years of development, the new 4680 battery looks to have a solution.
StoreDot says its design "increases throughput and addresses safety and performance issues typically associated with the hard case structure of cylindrical cells."
If it's capable of reaching commercial viability, StoreDot's battery has the potential to be a game-changer for EVs.
Analysis: patience required
Earlier this year, the company showed off prototypes, which picked up 100 miles of range in just five minutes on a charger, but full-scale production won't be ready to proceed until at least 2024.
Interestingly, StoreDot also claims to have solid-state battery tech in development and says it will be ready for production in 2028.
The 4680 battery, as its name suggests, measures 46x80 mm, which is larger than other cylindrical batteries produced in the past.
Tesla announced its version of the battery a short while ago, but it also has yet to reach production. The automaker claimed to have been moving toward in-house production of the batteries, but acknowledged there is still a long way to go before volume production is possible.
Range improvements and a significant cut in charging times are great reasons to look forward to the 4680's eventual arrival.
Still, there's no getting around the fact that battery demand is climbing, and the growth in demand will only accelerate in the next ten years. For automakers and battery producers to meet that challenge, it will take more than the 4680 battery to get there.
From Times of Israel via BGR
