For many people, charging an electric car is still one of the reasons for not purchasing one. It can take quite a bit of time. A new battery should put an end to that.
If you have a gasoline-powered car, you usually finish refueling within two minutes, unless you have a huge SUV. With an electric car, however, it can take dozens of minutes.
In fact, with fast charging on the highway, many an electric car can take half an hour to fully charge. Useful if you want a relaxing trip with a cup of coffee in due course, but considerably annoying if you don’t want to spend too much time on the road.
WANT on WhatsApp
We have recently started to be featured on WhatsApp. In our channel we share the best stories, videos and exclusive content you won’t get anywhere else. Follow us here.
Battery future for the electric car
So many automakers are trying to do something about charging times. For example, the charging speed of more and more models is going up significantly, and a company like NIO, for example, chooses to completely replace your battery every time to save time.
Yet it should all be even easier if researchers at Cornell University are to be believed. They have published a new study in the scientific journal Joule. They have developed a battery that should be fully charged within five minutes.
How exactly does it work?
One of the biggest problems for an electric car’s battery, is that it has to withstand quite a bit of electricity and heat. The more energy you want to push into it, the hotter it all gets. The university has found a solution to that by using a different metal that can withstand that just a bit better.
To be exact, that metal is indium. This is not entirely new, as it is already found in touchscreens and solar panels, for example. The metal must be used to prevent corrosion of other metals. The indium sacrifices itself, as it were, by corroding, so that this does not happen with more important materials. As a result, the battery’s lifespan goes up and it is better able to withstand corrosion.
The big advantage
If you can charge your electric car faster, there are obviously some considerable advantages. For example, it’s less of a problem if you have to make a stop somewhere. It also ensures that many people will have to go for a smaller battery in an EV, making them cheaper. After all, the battery is a hefty expense in a new car.
If you do go for an electric car with a longer range, you don’t have to stand at the charging station for a long time to recharge. So you save a lot of time. In short, faster charging makes the step from a petrol car to an EV a little easier.