Drivers living in cold climates might be wary of buying electric vehicles because of concerns about slow charging once temperatures dip below freezing.
To overcome this issue, engineers developed a modified manufacturing process for EV batteries to ensure fast charging in cold weather.
University of Michigan engineers discovered a way to make lithium-ion EV batteries that can charge 500% faster at low temperatures.
The team identified that the problem with standard batteries was a chemical layer that forms on the electrode's surface after reacting with the electrolyte.
Therefore, they coated batteries with a lithium borate-carbonate material about 20 nanometers thick to prevent that layer from forming. This coating significantly helped increase the cold-charging speed.
The engineers published their findings in Joule, envisioning the process as something EV battery manufacturers could implement without making major factory changes.
"For the first time, we've shown a pathway to simultaneously achieve extreme fast charging at low temperatures, without sacrificing the energy density of the lithium-ion battery," said Neil Dasgupta, one of the study's authors.
This new technology is significant because EV charging has historically been slower and less efficient when it's cold outside. However, the engineers' strategy enables EV charging in less than 10 minutes even when temperatures drop as low as 14 degrees Fahrenheit.
Reducing barriers to EV ownership and alleviating common concerns are essential in the world's clean energy transition.
Scientists have already discovered that EV batteries have longer lifespans than people thought. Now, they're finding ways to overcome charging and range concerns so that drivers feel more comfortable and confident buying electric vehicles.
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Cost 💰 Fast charging speeds are attractive and could help sway more drivers to consider EVs for their next vehicles. Meanwhile, auto manufacturers are equipping EVs with additional enticing features to prove stereotypes wrong and drive cleaner, greener sustainable communities.
The engineering team that built the new charging devices in the U-M Battery Lab applied for a patent to further its battery development. Arbor Battery Innovations licensed it and is moving forward with commercializing it to promote faster cold-weather charging for future consumers.
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