124-mile-range in 5 mins: China firms launch fastest-charging EV battery

The race to dominate the electric vehicle market is heating up, and one of the key battlegrounds is charging speed. In a new development, General Motors and its Chinese partner CATL have unveiled the fastest-charging EV battery to date.

The new battery, based on lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry, boasts an incredible 6C ultra-fast charging capability. The “C” rating of a battery indicates its charging speed.

As per the CnEV post, it can be fully charged in “one-sixth of an hour” or just 10 minutes.

EV battery gets 124-mile-range with 5-minute charge

The 6C battery offers a long range with a quick charge. With this groundbreaking technology, drivers can enjoy a range of over 124 miles (200 kilometers) after just a five-minute charge. This holds the potential to reduce range anxiety for electric vehicle drivers.

The 6C battery will be integrated into GM’s Ultium platform, which underpins the company’s next-generation electric vehicles.

The company has announced that the battery is scheduled for integration into Ultium’s quasi-900 V high-voltage battery architecture in the upcoming year .

Reportedly, Ultium serves as the fundamental platform for GM’s forthcoming electric vehicle models, introduced in March 2020.

The 6C battery uses several new technologies designed to speed up charging. These technologies make the battery’s chemical reactions more efficient and reliable.

New electrolyte composition

Interestingly, the battery also incorporates a new electrolyte composition, which offers various advantages. It improves ionic conductivity, decreases electrolyte viscosity, and promotes lithium ion desolvation within the battery cell.

This new battery sets a new standard for charging speed, surpassing even the latest offerings from other EV manufacturers.

The fastest Chinese EV battery is 5.5C, but manufacturers want faster than this.

Li Auto’s first electric vehicle model, the Li Mega MPV, is equipped with a 5C battery developed in collaboration with CATL. This is said to be one of the first vehicles to offer such fast-charging capabilities.

The Li Mega MPV is capable of achieving a range of 310 miles (500 kilometers) on a 12-minute charge.

In August, China’s automobile company, Zeekr, unveiled the 2025 Zeekr 007 sedan, claiming it to be the fastest-charging production car. Reportedly , the model is equipped with a second-generation Golden Battery that supports a maximum charging multiplier of 5.5C.

The battery pack exhibits a charging time of 10.5 minutes from 10 percent to 80 percent state of charge. This results in an additional driving range of 482 kilometers as per the CLTC test cycle.

In another latest development, the University of Science and Technology of China has developed a novel method for solid-state electrocatalysis in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs).

This development challenges the traditional understanding of electrocatalysis, which has been limited to interactions between liquid-solid and gas-solid interfaces.

The researchers utilized a sulfur-doped black phosphorus anode coupled with a lithium cobalt oxide cathode in their innovative approach.

“The design enabled an ultrafast-charging battery that can recharge 80 percent of its energy in just 9 minutes, outperforming previously reported LIBs,” Interesting Engineering reported.