New fast-charging technology sees electric scooter topped up in five minutes

Drivers could be recharging their cars in the same time it takes to fill up a petrol or diesel vehicle, thanks to new technology being developed.

Israeli start-up StoreDot refilled the battery of an electric scooter in five minutes, adding about 45 miles of range. Its next proof of concept is scheduled for 2021, when it plans to refill an all-electric Mercedes’ batteries with 300 miles of range in the same length of time.

The scooter recharge figure means the current battery can accept up to 540 miles of charge per hour, which is similar to most Tesla models using the firm’s Supercharger network. However, the American EV maker recently revealed the latest version of its chargers, which promise up to 1,000 miles of charge per hour.

If StoreDot’s prototype development remains on schedule though, by 2021 it should be able to charge at 3,600 miles per hour – equivalent to 300 miles in five minutes.

To achieve this, the firm says it uses traditional lithium-ion batteries but focuses on the process within the cells that allow it to accept electricity at a quicker rate than existing products. One of the key aspects It has to control is the heat generated by fast charging.

Doron Myersdorf, chief executive of StoreDot, said: “Within today’s society of time poverty, a five-minute charge enabled by ultra-fast charging batteries and infrastructure can make an EV as attractive to users as a petrol or diesel one.”

#BP & @StoreDotLtd present world-first full charge of an electric scooter in 5 minutes, a major milestone for ultra-fast charging battery technology: https://t.co/ZloMun9baopic.twitter.com/su2yvNbSkf

— BP (@BP_plc) June 12, 2019

StoreDot has received investment from a number of major companies, such as Daimler, BP, Samsung and TDK, which work with the company on various aspects of its business, including car battery development, charging infrastructure and mass production.

Jon Salkeld, technology director for BP’s advanced mobility unit, said: “For the industry as a whole, this demonstration proves that an ultra-fast charging world will soon be possible, and supports our goal of helping to create the infrastructure and collaboration framework required to facilitate a wider global technological shift to electric vehicles.”

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