THE THREE-MINUTE BATTERY

Adden Energy, a start-up spun out of Harvard University, reports having created a battery that can be fully charged in three minutes and will last through 10,000 cycles or 20 years of regular use.

At Harvard, engineers used computer power and machine learning to analyze and refine battery chemistry, create novel power cell designs, and develop a proprietary solid-state electrolyte—the part of the battery that carries electrons between a battery’s terminals.

The company aims to entice the 37 percent of U.S. drivers that it says have no way to charge an electric vehicle (EV) slowly overnight.

By enabling EV drivers to “fill up” in about the time it takes to pump a tankful of gas, the company would erase a key anxiety that, polls show, prevents a significant number of people from driving electric.

TRENDPOST: Despite a fully charged EV’s ability to travel at least 200 miles without stopping, the inconvenience of fueling away from home has been shown to be a high barrier for many potential EV drivers.

The remaining technology hurdle in the EV industry isn’t in the vehicles themselves but in their batteries.

That hurdle is gradually being whittled away by QuantumScape and its lithium-metal battery (“New Battery Could Double EV Range, Slash Charging Times,” 15 Dec 2020), the 4680 cylindrical battery Tesla has adopted (“Why 4680 is Electric Vehicles’ Most Important New Number,” 5 Apr 2022), and Alsym’s new water battery (“A Battery That Runs on Water,” 28 Jun 2022), among others.

Battery technology is evolving so quickly that breakthroughs are leapfrogging each other, with some being rendered obsolete before they can reach commercial distribution.

TREND FORECAST: Well before 2030, all major issues related to EV batteries and charging will be resolved, removing the last reasonable objections—other than purchase price—to owning an electric car.