Cambridge, UK-based Nyobolt Ltd. has revealed the first running EV prototype using its high-power-density, fast-charging battery technology. Designed and engineered with Callum, the Nyobolt EV will be used to validate the company’s battery performance in a high-performance environment and demonstrate to automakers an elevated customer experience with 10-80% charging in just under 5 min.

Founded in 2019 by Chief Scientist Clare Grey (FRS, DBE, Professor of Chemistry at Cambridge University) and CEO Dr. Sai Shivareddy, Nyobolt has leveraged its next-generation patented carbon and metal oxide anode materials, innovative low-impedance cell design, integrated power electronics, and software controls to create power dense battery and charging systems. These support the electrification of applications such as heavy-duty off-highway trucks, EVs, robotics, and consumer devices that demand high power and quick recharge cycles.

Initial in-vehicle testing earlier this month using 350-kW (800-V) DC fast chargers has confirmed that the EV’s 50-A·h 35-kW·h battery can be charged from 10% to 80% in 4 min, 37 s—or about twice the speed of most of the fastest charging vehicles today, according to Nyobolt. A constant current of 500 A in the first 4 min provides a 120-mi (193-km) range. A full 100% charge enables the prototype to achieve a WLTP range of 155 mi (249 km).

The technology is said to avoid the levels of degradation that typically come with supercharging lithium-ion batteries. The company’s 24.5-A·h cells have completed over 4000 full depth-of-discharge fast charge cycles, equating to over 600,000 mi (965,000 km) if used in the Nyobolt EV pack, while still retaining over 80% battery capacity. It says this is many multiples higher than the warranties of much larger EV batteries on the road.

Independent OEM testing has confirmed its 2.6-A·h cells can achieve over 4400 cycles with a 12C charge and 1C discharge at 23°C (73°F). Crucially, the cell internal resistance rises by only 50% after 4400 5-min charge cycles. This is said to be lower than the industry-accepted end-of-life values for EV cells, which are typically twice the initial value.

“Despite some OEMs showing fast charge times in the region of 15 minutes, a closer inspection reveals the charge is usually across a limited SOC region specifically chosen to limit the amount of life taken out of the cell; for instance, between 20% and 80%,” said CEO Shivareddy. “Typically, the charge profile will only hold these peak charge levels for a short amount of the charge time. Nyobolt’s low impedance cells ensure we can offer sustainability, stretching out the battery’s usable life for up to 600,000 miles in the case of our technology demonstrator.”

The 35-kW·h battery pack in the Nyobolt EV prototype not only adds miles faster but the compact battery pack size benefits owners, enabling energy-efficient electric vehicles that are cheaper to buy and run, and automakers, since they’d use fewer resources to manufacture. The Nyobolt EV, a sports car weighing just 1250 kg (2755 lb), underlines that the company’s tech can enable the automotive industry to return lighter, better-handling sports cars.

“We can enable OEMs to build excitement back into the segment, which is literally weighed down by legacy battery technology currently,” said Shane Davies, Nyobolt’s Director of Vehicle Battery Systems. “Our Nyobolt EV demonstrates the efficiency gains facilitated by our fast-charging, longer-life battery technology, enabling capacity to be right-sized while still delivering the required performance. Nyobolt is removing the obstacle of slow and inconvenient charging, making electrification appealing and accessible to those who don’t have the time for lengthy charging times or space for a home charger.”

While the priority for the EV was showcasing and testing the Nyobolt battery technology, Callum’s team has engineered it so that low-volume production is possible.

The EV’s architecture highlights how Nyobolt’s batteries could be retrofitted to existing EV platforms. The battery modules are cooled via cold plates with a water/glycol mix. The battery circuit uses an AC compressor and condenser as well as a battery chiller compatible with other performance vehicles, resulting in a near-standard module and battery pack. The limited heat generation—no more than 60°C during a fast charge or a performance drive—is thanks to the ultra-low-impedance cell chemistry.

Nyobolt’s technology builds on a decade of battery and supercapacitor research led by University of Cambridge battery scientists Grey and Shivareddy. Its anode materials in lithium-ion battery cells allow for a faster transfer of electrons between the anode and cathode.

“Our extensive research here in the UK and U.S. has unlocked a novel battery technology that is ready and scalable right now,” concluded Shivareddy. “We are enabling the electrification of new products and services currently considered inviable or impossible. Creating real-world demonstrators, such as the Nyobolt EV, underlines both our readiness and commitment to making the industries see change is possible.”

The battery technology could be in low-volume production within a year, ramping to 1000 packs in 2025. The company’s flexible manufacturing model enables volumes of up to two million cells per year.

It is talking with eight vehicle OEMs about adopting its technology. Alongside automotive applications, the fast-charging technology is set to be deployed this year in robotics. Other applications such as heavy-duty commercial vehicles are said to also be advancing.