StoreDot promises that ultra-fast charging does not degrade its battery cells

Until now, owners of electric vehicles with lithium-ion batteries have always been advised not to overuse fast charging. Whenever possible, it is better to charge using alternating current from the Wallbox at home or at work. In theory, following this advice should reduce long-term battery degradation.

The Israeli startup StoreDot now wants to put this practice to rest, and claims that its new battery technology allows continuous ultra-fast charging without affecting battery health any more than charging with a slow charger.

To prove it, the company carried out a thousand ultra-fast charges on one of its batteries, raising the state of charge from 10 to 80 percent in just ten minutes each time. The result of this test was then compared with the experience of other batteries that had been charged at a much lower power, from zero to full.

Don’t worry about charging power any more

StoreDot’s engineers were able to conclude that the level of degradation of their battery was similar to that shown by batteries that had been charged only with a low-power Wallbox. This means, therefore, that drivers of electric vehicles equipped with these batteries should never again have to worry about prioritising slow charging over ultra-fast charging.

The company says that this new battery technology can help drive the adoption of electric vehicles. It gives the example of drivers who do not have a garage and have to charge everything at a charging station, much like when they went to the petrol station with their old combustion-engine car. In these cases, all these drivers can rest easy knowing that they are not overly punishing their vehicle’s battery pack, and that they will enjoy the same range over time as if all those charges had been done at a low-power charging point.

StoreDot says it is already collaborating with electric car manufacturers of the calibre of Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Polestar or VinFast, which are already testing these new batteries to assess whether their use is viable in some of their future electric models.