Yes, you read it right. China is looking into developing an electric car battery capable of charging to 100% in just 10 minutes! That’s about the same time you spend ordering in a decently queued fastfood drive-thru.
Case and point, China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) is making a new type of EV battery called “Shenxing” which is said to be capable of powering a vehicle for up to 400 km (250 miles) of range with a 10-minute charge.Moreover, it’s also reported that a newer version called “Shenxing Plus” is already in the works, and is rated at 960+ km (600+ miles) of range on a single 10 minute recharge. These advancements would reduce the need for frequent recharging, at least that’s what CATL is aiming to achieve.
Sounds too good to be true, right? But apparently, our sources at Yahoo Finance reported that the technological move is “likely to be cheered by drivers, who have long complained about “range anxiety” with EVs.”
This makes sense because in the real world, “range anxiety” is perhaps one of the many reasons why would-be EV buyers are holding back on the purchase, and current EV owners always seem to be anxiously looking for signs of depleting power levels, enroute to their destinations. Knowing China’s competitiveness in terms of business and technology, it’s not surprising that they’re banking on this so-called “range anxiety” issue to come up with solutions.
Given the benefit of the doubt, China is all in good intentions about this. So much so that even the International Energy Agency (IEA), a French-based autonomous intergovernmental organization, is all in praise for China’s advancements in battery chemistry. IEA said that compared to China’s newly-developed Shenxing/Shenxing Plus batteries, those from other EV brands can also travel 400+ km on one charge, with newer versions likewise reaching 960+ km, on the caveat of longer recharge times (averaging 30 minutes or a few hours).
However, IEA also said that there are looming concerns about China’s control over essential battery materials, which could disrupt global net-zero efforts due to issues like extreme weather, trade disputes, or geopolitical tensions. Further elaborating on the issue, IEA stated that China’s dominance in battery minerals, such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, and copper could affect global supply chain vulnerabilities.
What are your thoughts about this new development in EV technology over in China? Wouldn’t it be great to just charge your EV to 100% as you take a quick shower or have a quick coffee break?
Would the current geopolitical issues surrounding China and its neighboring countries be a factor for you in adapting or avoiding this new technology in the foreseeable future?
