Chinese Firm Announces EV Battery Retains Range in Cold Temperatures
Greater Bay Technology, a Chinese startup, has developed a new EV battery that can charge at normal speeds even in cold temperatures. According to Huang Xiangdong, the co-founder and chairman, the Phoenix cell uses superconducting materials and thermal management to heat from -4F to 77F in just five minutes, enabling the battery to charge “within six minutes in all weather conditions.” Huang stated that the Phoenix battery not only addresses the long charging time for EVs but also other pain points. He added that the battery’s range would not be affected by weather conditions.
Loss of charging efficiency in cold weather has been a constant obstacle in electric car battery life. Other automakers, such as Polestar and GM, have solved the problem by adding heat pumps—Germany’s ZF even designed a prototype seat belt (or “heat belt”) to reduce the energy used to heat the passenger compartment.
The new Phoenix cell is claimed to have a range of 1,000 kilometers (621 miles). The company plans to bring the battery to the public next year in electric cars from Aion, China’s third most popular electric vehicle brand. (The Aion falls under the umbrella of the state-owned Guangzhou Automobile Corporation, which is incubated by Greater Bay Technology.) In addition, Greater Bay Technology is said to be “discussing the use of the cell with other automakers.” Summarizing Huang’s long-term vision, he said: “When electric vehicles can be driven and maintained like gasoline cars, there is a greater opportunity for mass adoption.”
Greater Bay Technology is a two-year-old startup valued at over $1 billion. Its first-generation battery is an ultra-fast charging cell currently installed in the Aion V Plus electric SUV.
