Fisker, the company behind a luxury electric vehicle dubbed the EMotion, said today that it is pursuing patents for a battery technology breakthrough that will give cars a 500-plus mile range and one-minute recharging times.
The technology is based around solid-state batteries that offer a surface area greater than existing flat thin-film solid-state electrodes, and with better conductivity. The project is led by Dr. Fabio Albano, VP of battery systems at Fisker and the co-founder of Sakti3, a solid-state battery tech company acquired by Dyson.
GreenCarCongress, which spotted the patent, quoted Albano:
“This breakthrough marks the beginning of a new era in solid-state materials and manufacturing technologies. We are addressing all of the hurdles that solid-state batteries have encountered on the path to commercialization, such as performance in cold temperatures; the use of low cost and scalable manufacturing methods; and the ability to form bulk solid-state electrodes with significant thickness and high active material loadings. We are excited to build on this foundation and move the needle in energy storage.”
Fisker has made several eyebrow-raising claims. The company says the forthcoming $129,000 EMotion will pack a 400-mile electric range and a top speed of 161 mph. The company also claims that a nine-minute charge will take the car 100 miles. Production of the car is set to begin in 2019, but the company does not expect to bring its battery breakthrough to market until 2023.