China has developed a revolutionary Electric car battery that can charge in just 10 minutes and power a car for hundreds of miles before it needs to be plugged in.
A report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) has hailed “remarkable” developments in chemistry that have allowed China to develop new batteries that pack far more energy than existing technologies.
The IEA highlighted EV batteries capable of travelling 250 miles without a recharge. Newer versions announced since the report was written can manage 600 miles.
The IEA’s Global Critical Minerals Outlook highlighted that Chinese battery company CATL had developed a fast-charging “Shenxing” battery “capable of delivering 400km of range from a ten-minute charge”. The battery is to be rolled out in electric vehicles later this year, the IEA said.
This means cars propelled by the new Chinese batteries would need refuelling far less often than most current EVs and at a fraction of the cost.
The IEA report looked at worldwide supply, demand and uses for minerals like lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite and copper – all of which are becoming increasingly vital for producing low carbon energy.
Supplies of most such metals are increasing but the IEA said markets are dominated by China.
It added: “Between now and 2030, some 70-75pc of projected supply growth for refined lithium, nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements comes from today’s top three producers. For battery grade spherical and synthetic graphite, almost 95pc of growth comes from China.
“These high levels of supply concentration represent a risk for the speed of energy transitions, as it makes supply chains and routes more vulnerable to disruption, whether from extreme weather, trade disputes or geopolitics.”
