An EV That Gets 500 km of Range Back in 18 Minutes: Music to Motorists’ Ears
The first major battle to make all-electric vehicles attractive was to increase range, at least to a level that cures range anxiety in motorists. That’s a battle that’s been largely won, although cold weather continues to present a challenge, and no one will sneeze at models that offer even more range in the coming years.
The second battle is being waged at charging stations. Specifically, the challenge is to shorten charging times. While some EV owners are fine with where we are now, many motorists hesitant to jump into the all-electric domain find the times still too long, particularly when traveling longer distances.
This battle will also be won one day, that’s clear. Many manufacturers and suppliers are already working on it and progress has been made in the last couple of years particularly. A potential game-changer is appearing on the horizon, however, and that would be solid state battery technology, which could significantly improve not just range and safety but charging times.
It’s expected that some manufacturers will offer vehicles equipped with solid state batteries before the end of this decade. One such company is fledgling EV maker Mullen, which we know from its Five concept, introduced at the Los Angeles Auto Show last November.
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