Perhaps it will soon not be quite so tiring to be on a long trip in an electric car. Polestar has just carried out a successful test that showed super fast charging times of the Polestar 5.
Together with StoreDot, a pioneer in fast charging technology, Polestar has shown that it is possible to charge a Polestar 5 prototype from 10% to 80% in just 10 minutes.
This was achieved with StoreDot's Extreme Fast Charging (XFC) technology, providing a charging speed that started at 310kW and increased to over 370kW at the end of the charge.
This impressive achievement, using silicon-dominated cells instead of traditional laboratory cells, is proof of Polestar's commitment to innovate and develop the cars of the future through technological partnerships.
The prototype's 77 kWh battery pack has the potential to grow to at least 100 kWh and can provide up to 320 km of range for a medium-sized electric car in just 10 minutes.
CEO of Polestar, Thomas Ingenlath, stated: "Time has become one of life's greatest luxuries, and therefore there is a need for us, as a manufacturer of luxurious performance electric cars, to address the biggest barrier that consumers have when it comes to buying an electric car – namely charging and range anxiety."
"Thanks to the new technology, drivers can in future spend significantly less time charging and more time driving. In fact, the so-called 'down time' or 'stop time' will resemble much more of the one we know from petrol cars today.”
StoreDot's revolutionary XFC technology uses silicon-dominated cells that have an energy density on par with the most advanced NMC cells. This technology does not require specialized coal systems in the chore vehicle and is designed for high reusability and serviceability.
During the test, the charging rate increased from 310 kW at 10% to over 370 kW at 80% SOC, confirming the technology's ability to deliver a stable charging rate without significant drop in speed or efficiency.
With this breakthrough, drivers can significantly reduce charging time compared to current standards. Charging from 10% to 80% for many modern electric cars usually takes about 30 minutes, but with XFC technology, this time is reduced to just 10 minutes, which is close to the time it takes to refuel a gasoline car. The DC charging infrastructure also supports this technology, which means that electric drivers can charge faster and with greater flexibility.
Dr. Doron Myersdorf, CEO of StoreDot, commented: “We are very excited to share this impressive achievement today and proud to be on the journey with Polestar. Polestar's recognition that ultra-fast charging technology is necessary to further spread electric cars is decisive. This breakthrough is part of a larger revolution and eliminates barriers such as range and charging anxiety once and for all, as motorists can now travel long distances with the same freedom and convenience as with traditional fossil fuel-powered railcars.”
