Slow charging speeds mean wasting valuable time for electric vehicle owners, which must be factored into the direct costs.
Slow charging speeds mean low service efficiency for renting space to open a charging station, making the return on investment unprofitable and indirectly hindering the widespread adoption of charging stations.
Two perspectives on fast charging technology for automotive lithium-ion batteries
We often compare lithium-ion batteries to a water tank model: compared to most batteries that use conversion chemical reactions, accompanied by significant material conversion processes, lithium-ion batteries use a very unique lithium intercalation chemical reaction, where lithium ions do indeed move back and forth between the positive and negative electrodes much like water.
If we're comparing lithium-ion batteries to a water tank model, what's the difference between water and oil? Why is it so quick to pour oil into a gasoline car but so slow to pour electricity into an electric car?
This is the so-called problem of fast charging technology for lithium-ion batteries, which needs to be understood from two perspectives:
From the perspective of charging equipment: Do the charging station and the vehicle's high-voltage system have the capability for high-power output?
From the perspective of lithium-ion batteries: Assuming safety and lifespan are guaranteed, are lithium-ion batteries capable of withstanding high power input?
Recently, Porsche unveiled the luxury electric vehicle Taycan, the most eye-catching feature of which is the onboard 800V high-voltage system that can support a super-fast charging power of 350kW[3]. What does 350kW mean? It is equivalent to turning off the air conditioners in half of the neighborhood and using the saved electricity to charge a small electric vehicle.
