In 2015, Israeli battery developer StoreDot announced plans to enter the EV market with battery cells that it said could enable a 300-mile battery pack to be charged in 5 minutes.

Now the company has launched engineering samples of its first-generation batteries that are designed to be manufactured at scale on traditional Li-lion production lines. The first production batch of sample cells is meant to showcase the technology to potential partners, including battery-makers and vehicle OEMs.

The sample cells were produced by StoreDot’s strategic partner in China, EVE Energy. The samples are compliant with UN 38.3, which ensures the safety of Li-ion batteries during shipping.

StoreDot’s XFC batteries use proprietary organic and inorganic compounds that the company designed and synthesized. The company replaced graphite in the cell’s anode with metalloid nano-particles, an innovation that it says enables improved battery safety and cycle life.

StoreDot’s strategic investors include BP, Daimler, Samsung Ventures and TDK.

“Our team of scientists has overcome inherent challenges of XFC such as safety, cycle life and swelling by harnessing innovative materials and cell design,” said StoreDot CEO Dr. Doron Myersdorf. “Today’s announcement moves XFC beyond innovation in the lab to a commercially-viable product that is scalable for mass production. This paves the way for the launch of our second-generation, silicon-dominant anode prototype battery for electric vehicles later this year.”

“We founded StoreDot to achieve what many said could never be done—develop batteries capable of delivering a full charge in just five minutes,” Myersdorf continued. “We have shown that this level of XFC charging is possible—first in 2019 with an electric scooter and again six months ago with a commercial drone.”

Source: StoreDot