Charging times are among the most criticized aspects of electric mobility. Even the most advanced EVs can’t match the refueling speed of a combustion-powered vehicle but Nyobolt, a UK-based developer of ultra-fast-charging batteries, claims it has a breakthrough technology that will allow for rapid battery charges. The company now displays an electric sports car concept equipped with a battery pack that can be fully recharged in less than six minutes.
The 35-kilowatt-hour pack should provide a range of about 155 miles (250 kilometers) at a single charge when installed in the sports coupe. Nyobolt doesn’t want to reveal the machine’s weight but vaguely says it weighs “closer to one tonne than two,” which suggests it tips the scales at below 3,307 pounds (1,500 kilograms).
Without going into exact numbers, Nyobolt estimates that its battery can be recharged with more than double the charging speed of even the fastest-charging cars currently in production. Even more impressively, Nyobolt claims its new battery has been tested for over 2,000 fast charge cycles showing no significant battery degradation. Also, the technology is not limited to just small batteries as larger packs could also use it. One important remark the company does, however, is that such charging speeds will be possible once 1 MW chargers become available.
Nyobolt’s new battery tech is showcased in an electric sports car concept designed by Julian Thomson, the man responsible for the design of the original Lotus Elise. Thomson was inspired by the concept of the lightweight sports car but wanted to make this modern interpretation wider, longer, and lower than the original. Helping Nyobolt and Thomson with the project was Callum, a British design and engineering company founded in 2019 by former Jaguar designer Ian Callum.
“Previously, enabling a lightweight fast-charging vehicle was not possible without compromising its lifetime and so people have been relying on costly and large battery packs in the vehicle. With our unique technology we have achieved a six-minute charge car, and developed smaller battery packs that can deliver more power and charge in less time,” Sai Shivareddy, Nyobolt’s CEO, comments.
