EV charging technique promises 200 miles in 10 minutes

When Li-ion batteries are rapidly charged at ambient temperatures, lithium tends to deposit in spears on the carbon anodes. As well as potentially causing dangerous electrical spikes, this lithium plating also reduces cell capacity.

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Known as asymmetric temperature modulation (ATM), the new technique charges cells at an elevated temperature of 60ۢ°C, which eliminates the lithium plating. The self-heating battery uses a thin nickel foil with one end attached to the negative terminal and the other extending outside the cell to create a third terminal. A temperature sensor regulates the flow of electrons through the nickel foil to complete the circuit. This rapidly heats up the nickel foil through resistance heating and warms the inside of the battery. Cycles are limited to 10 minutes to prevent materials degradation, but this is enough time to add more than 200 miles range for most EVs.