Claims about the next electric vehicle having the next fastest charging option have become so commonplace that they have almost lost all meaning.
But Nyobolt may have reason to brag. The British startup successfully charged an electric vehicle from 10% to 80% in just four minutes and 37 seconds – just enough time to grab a coffee.
Nyobolt achieved this feat on Thursday at a race track in Bedford, England, with his own specially developed electric sports car equipped with a specially developed battery.
The spin-off from the University of Cambridge has been tinkering with the chemistry of a standard Lithium-ion battery that can hold more electrical charge in a shorter time, without the risk of degradation or fire. To achieve this, the startup has developed a new material for the anodes of the batteries – but the details are kept secret.
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Nyobolt has built a Lotus Elise-inspired sports car prototype to demonstrate its battery technology. The car weighs just 1,250 kg and its 35 kWh battery has an official range of 250 km.
The startup unveiled the electric sports car concept in June last year, claiming it could be fully charged in under six minutes. And now, in the first live demonstration of the electric vehicle, Nyobolt has delivered on its promise – almost.
There were a few problems during the test drive, including a malfunction in the cooling system that prevented the electric vehicle from reaching the goal of a full charge in 6 minutes, said Nyobolt's co-founder Dr. Sai Shivareddy told the BBC.
The performance is still impressives and shows how far electric vehicle technology has come in just a few years. In an industry where range anxiety and long charging times are still a significant obstacle, a battery with a six-minute charge time could be a game changer.
While the EV prototype is still a one-off, Nyobolt specified that production could begin next year with “small series”. However, the main focus remains on the batteries under the hood.
