Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Zeekr, which currently produces the 001 and Zeekr
Currently, some of the fastest speeds on offer reach 360 kW, with only a select few vehicles able to accept that number of electrons. But Zeekr says this new lithium-ion phosphate (LFP) battery cell and pack technology will support vehicles with an 800V architecture to charge at previously unseen speeds.
The Chinese brand even claims that an electric vehicle equipped with Zeekr's new technologies and an 800V electric architecture can add 500 km of driving range in just 15 minutes.
The Geely-owned company admits that LFP batteries have traditionally been regarded by the industry as having 'lower energy density compared to nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) batteries at the cell level', but engineers have got around this by using what it refers to. as “newly developed materials” and “simplified structural design”.
The result is that the volume utilization of the new battery pack – essentially the amount of the battery pack used to power the vehicle – is 83.7 percent, far higher than the 72 percent of nickel production of leading Chinese battery manufacturer CATL. -manganese-cobalt (NMC) Qilin battery, according to Coach.
Despite Zeekr's claimed “excellent energy density”, the company says no compromises have been made on safety either, as it has undergone nail penetration tests, immersed in water for 48 hours and burned in a 1000 degree Celsius fire for an hour . There is a Youtube video that it is subjected to all kinds of punishment, if that's your thing.
The first model to get the new battery will be the pure-electric premium sedan Zeekr 007, which will go on sale in some markets as early as January next year. But other Geely-owned brands such as Polestar, Lotus, Volvo and even Smart could also benefit from the technology.
Now the network has to catch up
For Zeekr to effectively demonstrate its ultra-fast charging capabilities, it will need to support its public network, which in many regions is lagging woefully behind the advertised rates of its new 'Golden Battery'.
Currently, only a handful of chargers exist worldwide that can actually deliver 500 kW of power, including a unit installed by Nio in Chinaas well as an upcoming Express Plus Power Link 2000 DC fast charging platform from ChargePointwhich will take place at a number of Mercedes-Benz operated locations in North America.
But Zeekr has been busy in the domestic market, helping install more than 401 charging stations offering 360 kW of power. The company claims it plans to expand the network to 1,000 'ultra-fast' charging stations by 2024 and operate more than 10,000 ultra-fast charging points by 2026.
In Europe, EV charging provider Ionity says it plans to do this 7,000 350 kW chargers online by 2025while in North America Make America electric has one of the most extensive charging networks and says it plans to offer 10,000 chargers at 1,800 different stations by 2026, including many of its 'hyper-fast' 350 kW units.
At these kinds of speeds, an average 10 to 80 percent battery charge takes just 15 minutes or less, which is the only way to reduce wait times at busy stations and increase consumer confidence.
After all, eliminating the problems of range anxiety and long waits for batteries to charge are crucial to convincing the masses to give up fossil fuels and go electric. However, Zeekr still has to figure out how to make its battery technology affordable to the masses, and not just the profligate few.