An electric vehicle drove over 1,000 km on a single charge. Meanwhile, EV charging is faster than ever, and EV battery making is expanding in the U.S.
As electric vehicles become more mainstream worldwide, battery and charging technology are advancing to ease driver range anxiety. At the same time, as competition heats up internationally, U.S. battery makers are opening new manufacturing facilities.
Here are some of the latest developments.
The Lucid EV setting a world distance record. Image used courtesy of Lucid Motors
EV Sets World Distance Record for a Single Charge
A Lucid Air Grand Touring EV has driven 1,205 km (749 miles) on a single charge, breaking the previous record set in June by 160 km. The EV drove across highways, alpine roads, and secondary roads between St. Moritz, Switzerland, and Munich, Germany. The Guinness Book of World Records recorded the feat.
The Lucid Air Grand Touring range has been WLTP tested at 960 km and 13.5 kWh/100 km. Lucid lists the range as 824 km (512 miles). The vehicle can reach up to 270 km per hour, which allows it to gain 400 km of range in 16 minutes.
Lucid’s EV offers the longest average range, beating its nearest competitor, the Mercedes EQS 450+, a previous record distance holder. The EQS 450+ has a 627 (390) km range on a full charge, according to Mercedes-Benz. Weather, road conditions, and driver behavior affect driving range.
The record-setting drive through mountain roads. Image used courtesy of Lucid Motors
‘Flash-Charging’ BYD Denza Comes to the U.K.
Chinese automaker BYD will introduce the Denza Z9 GT shooting brake to the U.K. early next year.
The EV uses a 1 MW “flash charge” that reportedly adds 249 miles of range in only five minutes. BYD introduced the technology earlier this year on two other EV models in China. The company will install the fast chargers in the U.K. by the year’s end.
BYD unveiled its Super e-Platform with flash-charging batteries last spring. It uses silicon carbide power chips and includes a 30,000 RPM motor. It can reach a charging power of 1 MW and a peak charging speed of 2 km/s. BYD calls the Super e-Platform the “world’s first mass-produced full-domain 1000 V high-voltage architecture.”
BYD’s 1 MW flash chargers. Image used courtesy of BYD
U.S. EV Battery Expansions Persist
While breakthroughs in EV tech and EV batteries are occurring rapidly, supply chain issues and geopolitical forces pose challenges. In China, the government has enacted restrictions on eight technologies used to manufacture EV batteries, including lithium-ion phosphate (LFP) batteries, for export to other countries. Chinese companies, such as BYD and CATL, are the biggest manufacturers and exporters of EV batteries.
In the U.S, tariffs and the end of EV tax credits could slow demand and production. Yet, U.S. battery manufacturers are meeting the challenge. Tesla, GM, and Ford are all constructing U.S.-based LFP battery plants.
Panasonic Energy Co. has opened a factory that makes 2170 cylindrical lithium-ion batteries for EVs. The 4.7 million square-foot facility was built on 300 acres near Kansas City. It’s expected to employ about 4,000 people.
Panasonic’s EV battery factory near Kansas City. Image used courtesy of Panasonic Energy
The Kansas factory is the company’s second U.S. plant. The factory in Nevada, which began production in 2017, has an annual production capacity of 41 GWh. With the Kansas factory fully online, Panasonic will produce 73 GWh per year. Panasonic Energy’s lithium-ion batteries have an 800 Wh/L volumetric energy density.
Panasonic is a major battery supplier for Tesla. Its Nevada factory is located near Tesla’s gigafactory in Sparks, Nevada.
