GAC Aion with fast charging speed comparable to refueling
Early this year, GAC announced its new super fast charging battery technology.
Compared to the current fast-charging time of pure electric models, which takes 30 minutes to recharge to 80% of battery capacity, this graphene-based battery has a 6C fast charge capability, combined with a 600A high-power charger, can be recharged to 80% capacity in 8 minutes. The battery has also passed the most stringent safety test – Battery Shooting Test, possessing quality and reliability of the highest standard.
This graphene-based battery technology is an industry leader. It will significantly shorten charging time, as well as greatly extend battery life, solving the current“ pain points” of pure electric vehicles. The good news is that this battery technology has come out of the laboratory into real-world production. Aion V, the first vehicle model equipped with this graphene-based battery, has entered the mass production testing phase. It is poised to lead the electric vehicle industry into a new stage of development.
Now we have more details.
This fast charging technology will be available in two versions.
- 3C version: to charge from 0 to 80 percent in 16 minutes, or just 10 minutes from 30 to 80 percent.
- 6C version: to charge from 0 to 80 percent in 8 minutes, or just 5 minutes from 30 to 80 percent.
GAC already referred to the 3C version as having a silicon anode, but the 6C version is graphene based and probably has a hybrid silicon-graphene anode.
As for battery life, even for the 6C version GAC Aion says that electric cars with this battery technology will be able to handle at least one million kilometres.
Anyway, let’s see how this technology performs in the real world.
Figures when the battery reached a SOC (state of charge) of 80 %
- 855,6 V
- 562,8 A
- 481 kW
It’s really impressive that with a SOC of 80 % the – almost full – battery is still being charged at 481 kW. Moreover, it only took 4 minutes and 50 seconds to charge 35,1 kWh, which points to an average charging rate of 436 kW.
For every two minutes of charging we get around 100 km of range. Who needs plug-in hybrids or fuel-cell vehicles now?
To deliver this kind of power without stressing the electrical grid, future fast charging stations will need MWh-capacity batteries to serve as buffers. Fortunately, sodium-ion battery cells are perfect for this kind of job.
GAC Aion V
The GAC Aion V will be the first electric car to be equipped with this super fast-charging battery technology, its mass production is already scheduled for September this year.
More info:
Wow, more exciting news to go with the BYD EA1 and the SIB in your other articles. I wonder if GAC will ever start exporting these?
as well I wonder about the costs of these super fast charging batteries, will theY cost the consumer a premium?
GAC said that these batteries will be affordable. I’m also curious about the kWh cost.
Cathode chemistry?
Also, is this the CHAdeMO 3.0 charging standard with the max. 500kW (600A) charging power?
CCS2 can only go to 350kW so this car, in its highest-power variant, will not be able to take advantage of its maximum charging rate capability in Europe and North America.
The cathode is probably NCM. If it was a cobalt-free chemistry I’m sure that GAC would tell us.
As for the fast charging standard, it’s probably the new GB/T.
https://pushevs.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/07/Fast-charging-standards-for-EVs.jpg
https://insideevs.com/news/338620/china-is-developing-new-gb-t-fast-charging-standard-at-900-kw/
Ah I see, thank you very much, I saw 350kW for CCS on another chart, but maybe it was outdated or wrong. Wonder if we’ll eventually see a single connector standard…
You are both right. CHAdeMO 3.0 should be compatible with the new GB/T and both use the new ChaoJi connector. Backward compatibility with the older CHAdeMO and GB/T will be handled by the adapter. However, we will still see, because Tesla was able to push 630A through both the existing GB/T in China connector and CCS Type 2 in EU. For the CCS, the value of 350 kW is rather a recommendation for the evaluation of power classes. Otherwise, CCS stations can be equipped with higher power, the limit of most standards is located in the connector. The limit is now 500 A continuous for commonly available CCS connectors.
Thank you Pajda for the useful insights!
I’m amazed that the 6C chemistry can simultaneously deliver 2000+ cycles (and with safety). Very impressive. Hopefully we can get the pack Wh/kg and €/kWh details at some point.
“future fast charging stations will need MWh-capacity batteries to serve as buffers. Fortunately, sodium-ion battery cells are perfect for this kind of job.”
I agree that power supply for ~550+ kW chargers is going to be a challenge in many/most locations (especially when a site has a dozen of them), and battery buffers will be needed (or make sense). Especially when combined with other functions such as grid storage (renewables buffering and arbitrage), grid load smoothing, & frequency regulation, etc.
Buffers to charging stations can be achieved by other means like compressed air etc. Augwind startup is developing such shstems.
The problem with compressed air as an energy storage system is the poor efficiency (50-60 %).
Pumped-storage hydropower is more energy efficient (70-80 %).
And its advantage over pumped-storage hydropower is its relatively small size which may be mandatory for charging stations buffers.
Does be at about 500Kw charge rate and 6C mean the battery size is about 80Kwh?
It kinda fits with the 500km range figure
Yes, I also think that the tested battery capacity was around 80 kWh.
0 – 80% is 8 minutes is very fast. That means it should achieve 0 – 100% in 12-15 minutes. By the time, a driver fills a cup of coffee/tea, pays for it and drinks it leisurely, the car should be fully charged.
In fact on a 500 km trip with a car of 400 km range, after around 380 – 390 km drive, just spend 4 minutes that should provide 40% or 160 km of range, that should take us to the destination. Few 1.000 of these superfast chargers should be enough with rest of them being just regular chargers. This is just to prove the fast charging tech.
It is nice to see graphene is finally finding its’ way into batteries. It has so many good characteristics it was just about time we start using it in “common” goods. Hopefully, with this “proof of concept” others will start to use it and not just in batteries but also in other applications.
Sometimes I feel we live in two worlds: in one world there are China-based companies that seem to just love pushing boundaries of each other every day whether on Wh/kg/L, fast charging etc. And on the other site western companies that just watch the game and implement yesterdays technology. If feel even Tesla is falling behind when it comes to fast charging and battery development. 4680 seems outdated comparing to this achievement.
I feel exactly the same.
Sadly, the European Union is a failure, it’s ruled by old farts of the German/French auto industry. That’s why projects to develop better battery technologies like the NAIMA project get poor funding.
Japan and the USA are also ruled by the dinosaurs of the auto industry, Toyota and GM respectively.
These obsolete auto corporations keep fighting the electrical revolution, instead of embracing and leading it. When the Chinese auto industry replaces them, they only have themselves to blame.
I don’t think that it is possible to put such chargers everywhere from the GRID. Only OFF-Grid solutions, like L-Charge
How many cycles can the battery do with full charge and discharge?
Pedro – Does China have enough, indeed, any New GB/T chargers in the field to make use of the new graphene rapid charging capability?
Second longer-range question. If BYD were to export the Aion V, they’d need to move the charge port over to a more universal type. Likely CSS for the EU. What would the trade-outs be?
“GAC Aion said its first supercharging station was launched on August 30 at Guangzhou Donghong International Square. Focusing on first- and second-tier cities in China, GAC Aion will speed up the expansion of its charging network, which is scheduled to have 2,000 charging stations in 300 cities by 2025.”
https://autonews.gasgoo.com/new_energy/70018609.html
I doubt that BYD will ever export cars made by other automaker.
Thank you for your reply. We’ve known for some time that it was BYD’s intention to export passenger cars. Even to the USA, where they currently build electric busses. But COVID ad the Trump administration have interrupted those plans. Now, they’re following Aiways and NIO into Norway. A good springboard into the rest of the EU.
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/07/warren-buffett-backed-electric-automaker-byd-ships-100-cars-to-norway.html