From The Register, who are single-handedly keeping the word Boffin alive*, August 24:
400km range after 10 minutes charging sounds great. Shame the details are thin
The world's top battery maker for electric vehicles, China's Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL), claimed last week that it had developed a battery that can power a car for a distance of 400km after just ten minutes of charging. But one of the world's most respected battery tech scientists, Dr Richard Yazami – inventor of the graphite anode – is skeptical of the claim.
CATL claims its battery, called Shenxing, is the world's first superfast charging lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery and that at full charge it enables a range of 700km (435 miles).
By way of comparison, the average EV range in the US last March was calculated by Bloomberg at around 470km (291 miles).
And according to the US Department of Transportation, typical home, workplace and public level 2 chargers can take a battery from full to empty in anywhere from four to ten hours. Direct current fast chargers in places like highway corridors can reach 80 percent charge in ranges between 20 minutes and one hour.
Batteries with the specs claimed by CATL matter because buyers worry that electric cars may be less convenient that gas-guzzlers.
Studies, like one released last week by consumer intelligence agency J.D. Power, also cite a lack of charging infrastructure and price as factors influencing purchasing decisions.
CATL knows this and in its announcement of Shenxing stated "Currently fast charging anxiety has become the top factor that stops consumers from shifting to EVs."
To better understand the significance of CATL's claim, it helps to revisit how these batteries work....
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