Currently reading: Polestar hits 370kW in new extreme fast charging tests

EV maker charged a Polestar 5 prototype from 10-80% in just 10 minutes, hitting a peak charging speed of 370kW

Electric car maker Polestar has demonstrated new technology that allows for ultra-fast charging, hitting a speed of 370kW when charging a Polestar 5 prototype.

The technology, developed with battery firm Storedot, is named extreme fast charging (XFC) and uses silicon-dominant cells to charge at high speeds without degrading the battery. 

It also uses improved mechanics and cooling while weighing less. Its cells are lighter than those of a conventional EV battery and more recyclable, Polestar said. 

Should the technology be equipped to the 5 at market launch, as planned, it would significantly surpass the current fastest-charging EV currently on sale in the UK, the Porsche Taycan (320kW).

Polestar said the technology also offers improvements in charging speed consistency, with tests returning a steady charging rate of 310kW and a peak of 370kW - higher than that offered by any public charger in the UK today. 

Polestar said this was equivalent to adding 200 miles using a 77kWh battery in 10 minutes and that technology will also be usable on the brand’s larger 100kWh batteries in the future.

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Polestar’s boss said the technology would help to overcome what is seen by the public as one of the biggest shortcomings of EVs, which is time-consuming charging stops when compared with petrol or diesel. 

“Time is one of life’s greatest luxuries, and as a manufacturer of luxury electric performance cars, we need to take the next step to address one of the biggest barriers to EV ownership: charging anxiety,” said Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath.

“With this new technology, on longer journeys, when drivers do stop, they will be able to spend less time charging and be back on the road faster than before. In fact, that stop time will be more akin to what they experience with a petrol car today.”

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Peter Cavellini 30 April 2024

Yes, brilliant, just need the infrastructure to catch-up, be reliable,how long will that take?

Andrew1 1 May 2024

Ask your tory MP.

lukeski 30 April 2024

'The UK has the worst railway infrastructure in the world by far' - that is a very extreme claim. You have pointed out correctly that Eastern Europe has a higher proportion of electrification, but equally the UK has a higher proportion of fast trains - indeed there is almost know high speed rail in the whole of Eastern Europe. We also have a very low rail fatality rate because unlike other countries our infrastructure barriers off the entire network.  The 2017 European Railway Performance Index also ranked the UK in Tier 2, only 1 east european country was in tier 2(Czech Republic) and Tier 3 was made up of East European countries plus Ireland and Portugal. So i think you are picking 1 statistic, to support an improbable claim, that the UK is by far the worst out of the 40-50 odd developed countries in the world

xxxx 30 April 2024
lukeski wrote:

 So i think you are picking 1 statistic, to support an improbable claim, that the UK is by far the worst out of the 40-50 odd developed countries in the world

UK railways are 51st in the developed world, really, did you make that up on the spot. According to proper stats, Global Economy, the UK is 29th in the world for it's railway infrastructure, just behind Australia but ahead of Belgium, Italy, Ireland, New Zealand, Poland etc etc.

Why don't people do some research before posting such rubbish.

Andrew1 30 April 2024

Comparing UK railways with Japan's, France, Switzerland, Germany, Spain is ludicrous, I can't entertain this conversation.

Signal failure!

Dozza 29 April 2024

EVs are a joke.