Cambridge-based startup Nyobolt, has moved to the next stage of testing for its battery concept with the release of a drivable electric vehicle (EV) prototype.
The company, which uses patented carbon and metal oxide anode materials to support the electrification of industrial and automotive applications, revealed its prototype concept just a year ago, and is now seeking to validate the performance of its battery. Tests using a 350kW direct current (DC) fast charger confirmed that Nyobolt EV’s 35kWh battery can be charged from 10% to 80% in four minutes and 37 seconds.
In laboratory conditions, the technology achieved zero to 100% charge in six minutes. Nyobolt EV’s battery modules are cooled using cold plates and a water/glycol mix, architecture that could be retrofitted to existing EV platforms.
The key to enabling fast charging speeds is keeping EV battery modules cool; Nyobolt uses ultra-low impedance cell chemistry to enable low heat generation – of no more than 60° Celsius during a fast charge – which also means that battery life is not impacted by the high power required for fast charging.
The technology is the result of research led by University of Cambridge battery scientists Professor Clare Grey CBE and Dr Sai Shivareddy. Its anode materials in lithium-ion battery cells allow for a faster transfer of electrons between the anode and cathode.
Independent OEM testing has confirmed its 2.6 Amp-hour (Ah) cells can achieve over 4,400 cycles with a 12C charge and 1C discharge at 23°C. Crucially, the cell internal resistance rises by only 50% after 4,400 five-minute charge cycles.
Nyobolt’s 24.5Ah cells have already successfully completed over 4,000 full DoD (Depth of Discharge) fast charge cycles, equating to over 600,000 miles if used in the Nyobolt EV pack, while still retaining over 80% battery capacity.
The Nyobolt EV is notably lightweight, which partly explains the achievable distance. A typical EV pack has capacity in the 50-250Ah range; Tesla batteries are approximately 225Ah.
Shivareddy, the co-founder and CEO of Nyobolt, said: “Nyobolt’s low impedance cells ensure we can offer sustainability, stretching out the battery’s usable life for up to 600,000 miles in the case of our technology demonstrator.”
The company says it is in talks with eight original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that want to adopt its technology. “Our extensive research here in the UK and US has unlocked a novel battery technology that is ready and scalable right now,” added Shivareddy.
“We are enabling the electrification of new products and services currently considered inviable or impossible. Creating real-world demonstrators, such as the Nyobolt EV, underlines both our readiness and commitment to making the industries see change is possible.”
Making EV batteries more sustainable
Extending the lifecycle of an EV battery within a vehicle is just one way to make the technology more sustainable. Connected Energy uses second-life batteries to deliver battery energy storage systems (BESS), which Matthew Lumsden, Connected Energy CEO, recently discussed with Current±.
Second life battery storage extracts additional value from the finite resources embedded in existing batteries, eliminating the need to manufacture new batteries and subsequently removing the need to source the already limited critical minerals required to build them.
