Could this be what EVs have been waiting for?
Detractors of the electric vehicle will remind you about the interminable wait that will befall any owner with a flat battery. The amount of time it takes to recharge an electric car has been the bone of contention for many prospective buyers, who have resisted making the move to electric mobility solely due to this.
It’s a reasonable concern: How many of us hop into our cars, late for an appointment, and have to fill up on the way? In situations like these, the refuelling delay is negligible. But what if your electric car has a flat battery? Or what if you have multiple appointments in a day, and your projected range isn’t enough?
Good news: Israeli startup StoreDot has announced new battery technology, that can charge to full in just five minutes. Not only that, these rapidly-charging cells can also store enough power to run almost 500km in a single charge. With recharge times like that, it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility to see charging stations mushroom the way petrol stations do, with similar turnover.
StoreDot’s ‘FlashBattery’ tech utilises layers upon layers of nanomaterials and proprietary organic compounds, which is a world-first. FlashBattery is claimed to be safer than lithium-ion as well, thanks to its higher combustion temperature and non-flammable properties. FlashBattery may see use in a production car in as little as three years, but we’ll have to wait and see.
Would recharge times like these compel you to make the switch? Or does propulsion still mean combustion to you?
