StoreDot says that it has applied its ground-breaking silicon-dominant lithium-ion battery technology for extreme fast charging (XFC) for the first time in a cylindrical-cell format. In the world’s first application, the company demonstrated a prototype that can be fully charged in just 10 min.

Its XFC cylindrical cells use a 4680 format, the one increasingly favored by global carmakers, and have been in development for over three years. The company says that the technology delivers a 50% reduction in charging time at the same cost. Its work has attracted strategic investors including BP, Daimler, Samsung Ventures, and TDK.

StoreDot says its XFC FlashBattery technology redefines the chemistry of conventional lithium-ion batteries, taking EV charging times from hours to minutes. The breakthrough is achieved primarily by replacing graphite in the cell’s anode with metalloid nanoparticles, such as silicon, to overcome major issues in safety, cycle life, and cell swelling during the charging process.

The pioneering work for these breakthrough technologies was kicked off at Warwick University in the UK with collaboration by StoreDot strategic partner BP. The solution, which uses StoreDot’s continuous tab technology, has been further developed, with the work now covered with five cell-design patents.

Recent developments increase throughput and address safety and performance issues typically associated with the hard case structure of cylindrical cells. Testing at the StoreDot facility has shown promising low levels of internal resistance. Cylindrical cell samples are now ramping up the production lines at EVE Energy Co., Ltd., StoreDot’s manufacturing partner in China.

This breakthrough means that automotive manufacturers will be able to use StoreDot’s XFC batteries in both pouch and cylindrical cell forms. Both formats are undergoing a scale-up process at EVE Energy. In addition, the industry will be able to leverage StoreDot’s newly introduced, patent-pending Boost Charging Technology (BOOCT) application.

“Achieving the goal of extreme fast charging a cylindrical cell in only 10 min has been on StoreDot’s technology roadmap from day one,” said Dr. Doron Myersdorf, StoreDot CEO. “It’s highly significant that we can offer electric vehicle manufacturers the choice of cell formats, utilizing our XFC technology that will overcome the current barriers to EV ownership—range and charging anxiety.”

This world-first application of silicon-dominant anode extreme fast charge cylindrical cells was made possible by resolving a number of considerable challenges compared to pouch technologies. The 4680 cylindrical cell format requires a unique chemistry adaptation to offset greater internal pressures, gas release, and avoidance of potential leakage.

 

Manufacturing with EVE

In May, StoreDot announced that EVE Energy would be its strategic battery manufacturing partner to support the commercialization of its silicon-dominant anode XFC FlashBattery for EVs. EVE is a top-tier supplier of EV and ESS (electricity storage system) batteries in China.

The scope of the new agreement includes scale-up activities of StoreDot’s XFC technology, followed by the production of engineering samples targeted at showcasing the technology to EV clients. The agreement also covers the intention to set up a joint venture for mass production. The first prototypes will be available for testing later this year, with a plan for mass production via traditional certified lithium-ion battery manufacturing lines in 2024.

The new deal builds on a 2018 agreement between StoreDot and EVE to collaborate on small-form-factor XFC technology. In 2019, the XFC battery was used to demonstrate the world’s first full live charge of a two-wheeled EV in just 5 min. In January 2021, another major milestone was reached when StoreDot released the first small-form-factor engineering samples of its battery produced at EVE Energy’s production facility in China.

“Securing sufficient production capability is one of the biggest challenges facing any introduction of a new battery technology to market,” said Myersdorf. “EVE’s expert technical knowledge has been instrumental in helping us to reach a number of important milestones including, most recently, the launch of the small form factor XFC samples produced on standard lithium-ion battery manufacturing lines.”

Importantly, this removed a major barrier to achieving full commercialization of XFC technology by eliminating the need to invest in costly bespoke manufacturing equipment for mass production. The demonstration of manufacturing capabilities also paved the way for the first EV form factor prototype produced with EVE.

“XFC technology is absolutely critical to accelerating the adoption of petrol- and diesel-free vehicles by eliminating the barrier of range and charging anxiety,” said Dr. Liu Jincheng, EVE’s Chairman of the Board. “StoreDot’s progress together with our scale-up and manufacturing capabilities provide unique synergy to EV clients.”

 

Booster charging for all

StoreDot is strengthening its XFC offerings with patented technology to decrease EV charging times, with the system set to significantly improve the rate of miles per minute of charging—a major barrier to EV ownership for many potential buyers. Significantly, the company is making the new patented technology accessible to the entire market, which the company says is a first for an advanced automotive battery company. It is making the technology available to help expand the current charging infrastructure, speed up the global adoption of EVs, and “create a zero-emissions world in the future.”

The technology incorporates hardware and software advances that create a “booster” feature, allowing the battery to analyze the capability of a charging station in real-time and adjust the battery’s ability to carry high current rates. The communication between a vehicle’s XFC battery and charging system means that cells can be charged faster, safely accepting a higher current without overheating.

The technology has the ability to immediately boost existing infrastructure systems, enabling faster charging, and optimizing future fast-charge technologies without the need to upgrade to newer equipment in the near future.

“This is an important step for the EV global community as it will allow all of us to charge faster with very minimal changes to the current infrastructure and future deployment process,” said Myersdorf. “That is why we believe it’s critical to offer this world-leading innovation to other organizations on an open-source basis.”

This is the latest development in StoreDot’s advancement in XFC lithium-ion batteries for use in the automotive sector. The company says it is in advanced talks with global carmakers and remains on track to deliver mass-produced XFC batteries by 2024. Beyond that, its roadmap includes next-generation XED (extreme energy density) solid-state technologies planned for mass production in 2028.