Breakthrough in EV battery technology pushes the limits of fast charging

Researchers at the University of Waterloo have developed a groundbreaking new battery architecture that enables extreme fast charging of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles (EVs). The innovation paves the way for drivers to consistently charge EVs from zero to 80% in under 15 minutes, a significant improvement from the current industry standard of fast charging which takes nearly an hour and can result in significant degradation of the batteries when done frequently.

Batteries made using this new strategy were shown to undergo 800 extreme fast charging cycles at room temperature, a feat not possible with current EV batteries which limit charging times to prevent degradation and must heat the battery pack to a suitable temperature to be able to charge at maximum rate.

Improving charging speed and reducing cost

The new technology addresses major hurdles in the mass adoption of EVs: charging speed and cost. Charging speed is important to avoid “range anxiety” which is the term used to describe the general public’s anxiety around driving long distances and potentially not having access to a charging station or having to wait a long time to charge their car.

When EV drivers are out on the road running on empty and they need to charge their batteries, it can take up to an hour even at fast charging stations due to the limitations of the current batteries that are unable to accept maximum current flow throughout the charging session, which is not suitable for many commuters. Fast charging makes EVs viable for the many drivers who cannot charge at home.

A major impediment in the market for used EVs that this technology will also eradicate is the mystery around the state of health of the battery after frequent fast charges providing EVs with a better resale value.

Making EVs affordable and accessible

“We need to make EVs more affordable and accessible, not just for the wealthy,” says Yverick Rangom a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering. “If we can make batteries smaller, charge faster, and last longer, we reduce the overall cost of the vehicle, the battery being the single most expensive component of EVs. That will make EVs a viable option for more people, including those who don’t have home charging stations or who live in apartments. The increased cycle-life provided by our electrode technology even under repeated fast-charges will promote a roboust  second-hand EV market, making electric transportation accessible to a larger public.”

Novel technology for next-generation batteries

Every lithium-ion battery has an anode and a cathode. The breakthrough comes from the anode design, which traditionally relies on graphite. The research team designed a method to fuse graphite particles and with the current collector, drastically improving physical integrity preserving conductivity over the entire life of the vehicle. The covalent joining technique of the cell component allows it to survive harsh cycling without degradation to its performance.

Offering low-cost solutions to industry partners

Focusing on the anode architecture while utilizing traditional materials used in Lithium-ion batteries makes the technology easier to integrate into existing battery manufacturing processes.

 "We're not reinventing the wheel in terms of materials in lithium-ion batteries. We're just finding a better way to arrange the particles and provide new functions to the binders that hold them together such as state-of-the-art electron, ion and heat conduction properties," said Professor Michael Pope co-lead PI of UWaterloo’s Ontario Battery and Electrochemistry -Research Centre and director of the 2D Materials and Electrochemical Devices Lab. “This approach ensures that the technology can be scalable and implemented using current production lines, offering a low-cost solution to battery manufacturers.”

Pope brought his expertise in designing and testing next-generation batteries to the research group leveraging funding from an NSERC Idea to Innovation Grant which aims to accelerate the commercialization of University-owned intellectual property-such as the patent filed by Rangom and Pope for the covalent bonding strategy.

The research team has filed a patent for the technology. The next step for the research team is to optimize the manufacturing process and ensure the technology is ready for widespread industry adoption.

“We’re focused on ensuring this solution is not only effective but scalable,” said Rangom, lead researcher for the Battery Workforce Challenge. “It’s crucial that it can be implemented within the existing infrastructure for both battery production and charging stations.”

The study was published in the journal Advanced Science.