Samsung’s EV battery breakthrough: 600-mile charge in 9 mins, 20 year lifespan Given the current high production costs, the initial adoption of these batteries will be confined to the “super premium” EV segment. Updated: Aug 01, 2024 06:29 AM EST Samsung's solid-state batteries boast an energy density of 500 Wh/kg, double that of mainstream EV batteries. kynny/iStock
This may not do me any good, since I doubt I'd buy a "super premium" car even if I could afford one, but I'm always happy for any progress in energy storage.
Let's see. My Nissan LEAF, which I'm sitting here waiting to be delivered, says its 40 kWh battery will deliver about 150 miles on a full charge if absolutely everything goes right. The LEAF is a very modest muncher by, say, Tesla standards so we can figure 160 kWh for 600 miles though that's certainly an underestimate. Now...400 volts is about as high as I would feel safe around. If you wonder why, look up "arc flash" and you will quickly see. 160 kWh in, say, ten minutes means a charging rate of 960 kW or 2,400 amperes. Yeah, it's doable. I think its about three times the current fastest charge rate out there and they're already having to liquid cool the cables. Yikes. I don't like to get that intimate with a power substation.
Sounds like they might have to slow down the maximum charge rate from 9 minutes to 40 minutes or something. That still wouldn't be bad for five or six hundred miles.
Good point, maybe they should try liquid nitrogen cooling and for the arc flash danger they could hoist the cars 50 feet into the air before starting the charging process?