EV batteries have improved and become cheaper, but faster public charging remains a priority to improve convenience for road trips and those without home charging. Faster charging often conflicts with energy density, producing batteries that charge quickly but offer reduced range. High-rate charging also accelerates cell degradation, potentially reducing capacity by around 20–25% over many cycles. Some high-power charging demonstrations have achieved extreme kilowatt levels but at the cost of range. Manufacturers are exploring silicon anodes and packaging changes to target fast charging while maintaining energy density, durability, and cost-effectiveness.
Faster charging generally is at odds with a cell's energy density, as Scaringe explains. In other words, you can make a battery that charges lightning-quick, but it may not hold very much energy, resulting in an EV that can't go as far. That's part of why it takes anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes to add a significant charge to most EVs in America.
The other challenge with boosting fast-charging capability, Rivian's CEO said, is that it deals a blow to a battery's longevity. "We can fast-charge really quickly, but you kill the durability of the cell," he said. "Over the course of, let's say, 1,000 charge cycles, you could lose 20, 25% of the original capacity of the cell."
Collection
[
|
...
]