Chinese battery capable of recharging in under 10 minutes

 China's battery developer breaks 10-minute charge barrier : Ready for immediate mass production

A Chinese battery manufacturer has developed superfast charging cells, and it's not industry leader CATL. Gotion High-Tech, a rival of China's best-known and most successful developer of electric vehicle and other batteries, announced two batteries that can be rapidly charged plus new solid-state technology at its annual conference. These charging times should help make EVs more enticing to buyers. Following are the some of the important points:-

Gotion High-Tech announced two superfast charging cells at its annual conference.

One of the batteries, a 5C called G-Current, can be replenished to 80% in 9.8 minutes and 90% in 15 minutes.

The other fast charger, named Stellary, is made of second-generation silicon-carbon and a fast-charging electrolyte.

Chinese battery cell manufacturer Gotion High-tech has developed an electric vehicle battery that will charge in under 10 minutes, putting the company in direct competition with world leader CATL. Gotion unveiled the G-Current battery at a technology conference hosted at its headquarters in Hefei. The battery is capable of charging from 10% to 80% capacity in 9 minutes and 48 seconds, according to the company. Gotion has started to mass produce G-Current batteries for extended-range electric vehicles. "The fast-charging battery will address concerns among consumers about charging," Cao Yong, vice president of Gotion's Engineering R&D Institute, said. One of the batteries, a 5C called G-Current, can be replenished to 80% in 9.8 minutes and 90% in 15 minutes, according to reports available. It can be used in EVs and hybrids and with lithium iron phosphate, lithium manganese iron phosphate and lithium nickel cobalt manganese chemistries. The company said the G-Current was "ready for immediate mass production,".

CATL faces stiff competition at home as new energy vehicle sales set to boom. Volkswagen-backed Gotion developed the G-Current with a new mix of materials. Conductivity of the lithium-ion electrolytes has been improved by 30% to 50%, according to the company. The battery pack is thinner with 30% less components, meaning it can be fitted in EVs ranging from coupes to sport utility vehicles. The G-Current will come in two types. The lithium iron phosphate (LFP) version does not use rare metals and is more affordable. The more conventional nickel-manganese-cobalt version is capable of longer driving ranges.

Gotion has started to mass produce G-Current batteries for extended-range electric vehicles, a category of hybrids. Production lines for batteries for all-electric vehicles are still being built, with mass production to start at the end of the year. The other fast charger, named Stellary, is made of second-generation silicon-carbon and a fast-charging electrolyte. It goes from a 10% charge to 70% in nine minutes and enables battery packs to offer a 350-kilometer (217-mile) range after five minutes and a 600-kilometer (372-mile) range after 10 minutes. A Gotion news release stated Stellary was uniquely designed to dissipate 70% of its heat outside the pack within three seconds, an important safety feature. A wireless battery management system helps ensure its reliability. This battery will be made at Gotion's µm-level Gen7 facility, which will reduce manufacturing costs by 50%. The other development was the Gemstone battery, which features all-solid-state technology. Its 350-watt-hour per kilogram energy density is 40% more than that of most NCM batteries, which will help EVs increase their ranges and use energy more efficiently. It is planned for rollout in 2027 and commercial availability in 2030, offering a driving range of 1,000 km's, or 621 miles, on a single charge.

New energy vehicles account for 32% of new car sales in China, including exports, according to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. EVs alone account for 20% of the sales volume. Ownership of new energy vehicles has become mainstream, with long lines at highway charging stations a common sight, and headache for drivers, during holiday breaks. To address the problem, manufacturers have been moving to shorten charging times. Up to now, EV platforms were made for 400-volt chargers. Now developers are competing to put out batteries that can be plugged into 800-volt chargers. Those stats and the charging times of the G-Current and Stellary should help make EVs more enticing to buyers. A $7,500 federal tax credit plus savings on gas and maintenance are other perks which come with switching from a gas-guzzler, and you can also remove 10,000 pounds of carbon dioxide pollution from entering our atmosphere each year. 

Global EV battery leader CATL, headquartered in Ningde, China, unveiled the Shenxing Plus battery at the Beijing auto show in April. The new LFP battery has a 600-kilometers range on a 10-minute charge, according to CATL, and can go 1,000 km on a full charge. Formally known as Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd., CATL also produces the Shenxing superfast charging battery, the predecessor to the Shenxing Plus. Mass production of the original Shenxing began at the end of last year. Shenxing batteries are found in EVs made by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group under the Zeekr brand, as well as in Chery Automobile's Exeed series of EVs. EVs powered by the Shenxing series of batteries are "similar like that of the engine car already" thanks to the fast-charging technology, CATL Chairman and CEO Robin Zeng said at the Beyond Expo tech forum hosted in Macao. CATL's next step is to develop technology that will provide a sufficient driving range with a six-minute charge, Zeng said. Zeng spoke entirely in English during his talk at the Beyond Expo, in an apparent move to broadcast his message clearly to overseas markets.

The global market for these vehicles is projected at 1.62 million units in 2025, meaning China is expected to drive the market for superfast-charging EVs. China's EV industry has distinguished itself by developing fast-charging technology not just for nickel-manganese-cobalt batteries, but also for LFP batteries, which are installed in 60% of the electrics in the market. LFP batteries are able to bring EVs to mass market price ranges. Gotion aims to put its new series of batteries in class B models of new energy vehicles, a category of midsize vehicles that make up over 30% of the market. One major challenge remaining is to expand the network of charging stations for EVs compatible with 800-volt charging technology. "The number is insufficient in light of the increasing number of EVs that need fast charging," said Huawei Technologies, which produces fast chargers.

EVs line up at a charging station in Beijing. Fast-charging batteries are expected to resolve the problems of long lines at stations.   European and South Korean automakers have marched ahead in high-voltage charging. In 2019, Porsche released the Taycan EV that can be charged at 800 volts. The 2024 edition, which uses batteries from South Korea's LG group, can charge from 10% to 80% capacity in 18 minutes, according to the German carmaker. Hyundai Motor released the Ioniq 5 that is capable of 800-volt charging. Now China's EV makers are following suit, and new energy vehicles compatible with 800-volt charging tech are projected to mushroom in the Chinese market. Last year, there were 125,000 new energy vehicles sold in China that adopted 800-volt platforms, according to Chinese brokerage Soochow Securities.