New EVs Can Be Filled Like an ICE Vehicle

­One of the biggest drawbacks of EVs is the time they take to charge. That problem increases as temperatures begin to drop. Most of us likely saw the photo of the group of Teslas abandoned at a charging station at the beginning of this year because their batteries wouldn’t hold charge. It is not a sight that anyone who cares about the environment would like to see regularly. Even if conditions are ideal, charging time is a major turn off for potential EV buyers. Before, range was a major issue, but consumers are more or less satisfied with the mileage offered by the current generation of EVs. If the charging time could be cut, along with the cost of the vehicles, EVs would be a much more tempting proposition.

There are many researchers working on those problems at the moment. The majority of them are concentrating on making electric batteries better, by working on solid-state electrolytes, for example. Others are trying to develop reliable 800V systems. Both of these methods have the potential to cut charging time to around half an hour, which is a big improvement, but not in the same ballpark as the time it takes to fill the tank of an ICE vehicle with petrol. A third group of researchers are looking at a different way to solve the problem - a vehicle that can be filled in seconds like ICEs, while being as green as EVs.

Flow batteries are not a new invention, but previously they have not had the energy density to be used in applications such as EVs. That is no longer true as several companies are currently working to develop flow batteries that are just as energy dense, if not better, than lithium batteries. The flow battery is an electrochemical cell where two fluids flow either side of a thin membrane barrier. Ion transfer occurs inside the cell, leading to an electric current that flows to the outside world. As well as the range and charging time, flow batteries are potentially safer than lithium batteries through being non-flammable and non-toxic. They can be used both as a fuel cell and as a replacement electric battery.

Some companies are getting close to commercializing flow battery technology for automotive use. For instance, nanoFlowcell has developed a prototype vehicle that has already accomplished half a million miles of testing. The company’s QUANTiNO twentyfive Roadster has no battery, instead, it uses fluids stored in tanks built the car’s bodywork. It can be filled like a regular ICE vehicle and has a range of up to 1,242 miles.

It is a really interesting technology for the automotive industry. Billions of dollars are being spent around the world building an electric infrastructure, but both the hydrogen industry and now, the flow battery industry could have more reliable technology. Soon solid-state batteries may be available that should solve some charging problems for EVs, especially in the cold. Other solutions may be too little, too late.