Skeleton Technologies has introduced a new product that combines supercapacitors and batteries, and has joined a coalition of nine members, including Shell, that aims to electrify mining equipment.

The SuperBattery doesn’t use any cobalt, copper, nickel or graphite. The company says it can last for 50,000 cycles. It is currently being used or tested in hybrid and fuel cell vehicles and charging infrastructure.

“Skeleton’s patented Curved Graphene material allows for 100 times faster charging compared to standard lithium-ion batteries,” says the company. “Used in off-road vehicles, SuperBattery can be charged in less than a minute, therefore requiring much less charging time spent per day: less than an hour, whereas 6.5 hours are needed with a lithium-ion battery.”

Skeleton says it plans to begin mass production of the SuperBattery in 2024.

“We are proud to work alongside Skeleton—and our consortium members—to develop a new pilot offering of electrification solutions for off-road vehicles and to demonstrate how partnership and close collaboration can help mining businesses meet their environmental goals,” says Shell VP Grischa Sauerberg.

“The pilot offering combines ultra-fast charging with Skeleton’s new SuperBattery, in-vehicle energy storage, and power provisioning and microgrids,” says Skeleton.

Source: Skeleton Technologies