Up to 80% in 10 minutes: Battery with Turbo charging speed presented
On August 16, 2023, CATL of China - the global market leader in traction batteries with a market share of about 35% - unveiled a new battery with turbo charging speed. The Shenxing Superfast Charging Battery is said to achieve a range of 400 kilometers after only ten minutes of charging. But what does this value actually say exactly?
CATL prefaces its presentation of the new battery type by presenting fictitious complaints from e-car drivers, which are essentially about two things: charging speed that is too slow, especially in cold temperatures. Both the charging speed and the temperature problem are said to be fixed by the new battery type, through a fundamental revision of the LFP cell chemistry. The new Shenxing Superfast Charging Battery is said to reach a charge of around 80% after about 10 minutes.
C-rate is almost 4
The charging speed of batteries is usually measured by the so-called C-rate. 1C corresponds to a battery charging speed from zero to 100% in one hour. The presentation talks about a 10-minute charging time within which the battery is charged from 20% to 80%. Mathematically, this corresponds to a C-rate of 3.6, with the charging time increasing to 30 minutes when the outside temperature is -10 °C. This makes the Shenxing Superfast Charging Battery comparable to the charging performance of a VW ID.3, although this value is only achieved in the case of the latter in ideal conditions. By comparison, very fast-charging series e-cars currently achieve a value of just over 2C (e.g. based on the Hyundai e-GMP platform).
Modified cell chemistry
So how does such an acceleration of charging times come about? The lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cell was modified for this purpose, which at the same time brings another advantage: low-threshold access. Because the LFP cell is robust and at the same time inexpensive - it does not require cobalt and nickel - the battery should also be accessible to broader sections of the population. This democratisation is also the declared development goal of Gao Huan, CATL's Chief Technology Officer.
The secret behind the new "turbo battery" could be an adaptation of the graphite anode. For improved transport of the charge, its surface has been manipulated. The background is that, with the exception of the Porsche Taycan, most electric cars are equipped with an anode made of graphite – and when it comes to improved energy density and accelerated charging, it is precisely this modification that holds great potential.
And two more changes are said to be responsible for the acceleration in the Shenxing: a modification of the liquid electrolyte and an increased porosity of the separator film. While the former is supposed to have a lower viscosity at low temperatures, the latter is supposed to increase the charging speed in a direct way, and without having to compromise on safety.
Shenxing 2024 in series production
The first electric cars equipped with the new Shenxing Superfast Charging Battery are expected to roll off the assembly line as early as next spring.
The new battery type has the following characteristics: low costs, high durability due to modified LFP cell chemistry and a considerable acceleration of the charging speed to almost 4C. It will be interesting to see whether CATL will fulfil all these promises.
In addition, the world market leader is engaged in the development of further key innovations. Firstly, there is the series production of the new first-generation sodium-ion cells, which is planned for this year. Secondly, there is the direct integration of cells into the battery packs without the diversions via modules (so-called cell-to-pack integration). Thirdly, the sophisticated Qilin system is to go into series production in vehicles such as the Zeekr 001. The system is also 4C-capable. And finally, the condensed-matter battery is to come, which is to be used in small aircraft due to its high energy density.
Source: heise.de, Christoph M. Schwarzer, 16.08.2023
Image: CATL
