German auto parts maker Mahler (Mahle) has partnered with battery maker Allotrope Energy to come up with a new fast charging solution for electric vehicles. The two companies' new lithium-carbon batteries draw on the elements of supercapacitors, which take as much time to recharge as fuel cars, while providing some other environmental benefits.
"mileage anxiety is often seen as a major obstacle to the popularity of electric vehicles, but if the battery can be fully charged during the time it takes to refuel a conventional internal combustion engine, then most of the concerns will disappear," said Dr. Mike Bassett, director of Mahler research.
With the rise of on-demand economy, applications such as gasoline-powered mopeds for takeout are increasing rapidly, which inevitably affects the air quality of the city. It turns out that decarbonization in these areas is difficult without expensive interchangeable batteries or switching to larger, heavier, more energy-efficient electric vehicles.
In a partnership with Allotrope Energy, Mahler considered using electric mopeds as urban vehicles, powered by cheap, small-capacity lithium-carbon batteries that can be recharged in as little as 90 seconds when the vehicle is parked.
Their solution uses Allotrope Energy's lithium-carbon technology, which combines the advantages of supercapacitors and conventional lithium-ion batteries to provide a battery that can be charged quickly but still maintains a good energy density. This technology is characterized by the use of high-speed battery-type anodes and large-capacity double-layer capacitors (EDLC) cathodes separated by organic electrolytes.
It is said that this will bring the huge power density and charging capacity that supercapacitors can provide, coupled with the superior energy density of lithium batteries, the resulting lithium-carbon batteries can be charged at a speed of 20 kilowatts in 90 seconds. This means that a full charge can be completed within the waiting time for the next delivery.
On the other hand, the team's lithium-carbon battery, which does not use rare earth metals, is completely recyclable and is said to be not vulnerable to thermal runaway events, which can lead to overheating and damage. In addition, the service life of its capacitive cathode is more than 100000 times, which is much higher than that of traditional batteries.
![[SMM Revue hebdomadaire du marché des cellules de batteries de stockage d'énergie 9.3] L'offre restreinte de feuilles de cuivre limite les calendriers de production de septembre, les prix des cellules de batteries de stockage d'énergie restent fermes](https://imgqn.smm.cn/usercenter/tKgKv20251217171725.png)
![Revue hebdomadaire du marché du carbonate de lithium : du 31/08 au 03/09, les prix au comptant du carbonate de lithium ont d'abord augmenté puis baissé, tendance globale à la baisse [Revue hebdomadaire SMM]](https://imgqn.smm.cn/usercenter/PPLUj20251217171727.jpg)
