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China's oldest luxury car brand, FAW Hongqi, has tested a new electric car battery cell that charges from 10% to 70% in just three minutes and 41 seconds
Built in partnership with a specialist battery startup, the battery also achieved a 10% to 97% charge in just over eight minutes during testing.
These figures outpace BYD's new Blade 2 battery, which takes five minutes to charge from 10% to 70%, and nine minutes to reach 97%.
Hongqi's battery shaves more than a minute off that charging time, making it one of the fastest-charging electric car batteries tested to date.
Hongqi's new battery.
Image via Gadget ReviewHowever, battery maker CATL still holds the laboratory record
Its Shenxing 3 battery can charge from 10% to 98% in six minutes and 27 seconds. CATL also cut internal electrical resistance to just 0.25 mΩ, half the current industry average, meaning it can charge faster without producing much heat.
The Shenxing 3 battery by CATL.
Image via Motor1Here's how the new charging tech works:
To boost charging speeds, Hongqi's engineers redesigned the battery anode and used a new liquid mix.
This change allows lithium ions to move much faster, while a special carbon coating further reduces resistance.
Meanwhile, a smart liquid cooling system keeps battery temperatures stable within a three-degree range during fast charging. A safety system also cuts power in real time if voltage rises too high.
Even so, Hongqi's battery is not ready for mass production yet
BYD is already placing its Blade 2 batteries into new cars and building superchargers across China. Still, these fast battery tests show how quickly electric cars are improving, making them easier to use than traditional petrol cars.
