Chinese battery maker Sunwoda unveiled an ultra-fast charging technology that it said can charge an electric vehicle battery from 10 percent to 97 percent in 9 minutes. It is also highlighting thermal management performance, low-temperature charging capability and battery life as it moves into the competition over EV charging speeds.

On Sept. 20 local time, EV outlet Electrek reported that Sunwoda presented its 15C battery technology at a battery industry conference in Zaozhuang, in China’s Shandong province.

Sunwoda said the battery can add about 100 km of driving range with a 1-minute charge at room temperature. It also said it can charge from 10 percent to 70 percent in 5 minutes and from 10 percent to 97 percent in 9 minutes.

It also stressed thermal management performance, cited as a key factor in ultra-fast charging. The company said controlling battery temperature is essential for stable charging because heat increases as more power is delivered to a battery in a short time.

Sunwoda highlighted that this ultra-fast charging performance is achieved at room temperature. It said it can maintain charging performance in low-temperature conditions. At minus 20C, a 15-minute charge can add about 700 km of driving range, and under the same conditions it can charge the battery from 10 percent to 97 percent, it said.

Sunwoda also countered concerns that ultra-fast charging could reduce battery life. The company said the battery meets warranty conditions of 10 years or 300,000 km, and that there is no separate limit on the number of ultra-fast charging sessions.

This is seen as targeting existing concerns that ultra-fast charging could negatively affect battery degradation and lifespan. If applied to actual vehicles, whether performance can be maintained over long-term use, as well as charging speed, is expected to be a key verification factor.

Sunwoda already supplies batteries to Chinese automakers including Geely, Dongfeng and GAC. The technology disclosure also revealed a strategy to expand its business scope beyond competition over battery cell performance into charging infrastructure and energy management.

The company also unveiled an open energy ecosystem combining solar power generation, battery energy storage systems (ESS) and ultra-fast charging systems. It aims to build EV charging stations not as simple charging facilities but as energy platforms linking power generation, storage and supply.

It also presented the possibility of direct cooperation with energy companies and in the microgrid field. This means expanding beyond the existing business model of supplying cells to automakers into becoming an energy business spanning power grids and charging infrastructure.

In the EV market, shortening charging time is emerging as a key competitive factor. That is why automakers and battery companies are competitively pursuing ultra-fast charging technology development along with extending driving range.

In this announcement, Sunwoda presented charging speed along with performance at minus 20C, battery life warranty, and charging infrastructure and energy management. When it will be applied to actual vehicles and whether automakers adopt the technology are expected to be key points to watch for judging commercialisation potential.