ZapGo Ltd., a developer of Carbon-Ion cells, a fast-charging alternative to lithium batteries, has demonstrated it can perform a full charge of a device in a matter of seconds. To achieve almost instant charging, the company’s Carbon-Ion cells are built into both a power pack and a cordless device (such as a power drill) so that the energy transfer occurs directly from one to the other. With this technology, the charge rate is not dependent on how much energy the batteries can take in, or on the output of the electrical grid, as it is with conventional lithium-ion batteries.
The implications of this demonstration are far-reaching. Electric vehicles (EVs) are in the spotlight as governments urge their adoption to combat urban pollution. More than one million vehicles are expected to be sold this year and some automakers are committing to making 25 percent or more of their output battery-powered within the next decade.
Stephen Voller, Zap&Go’s CEO, said, “We have successfully demonstrated how to reduce recharge times from hours to five minutes with our Carbon-Ion cells and ‘instant charging’ represents the next stage of the development of our technology. Since we have the technology to charge a cordless drill in 15 seconds, we expect to be able similarly improve EV charging rates, thereby solving one of the main obstacles to making EVs the new standard.”
