This could be possible without the need for solid-state batteries, which the automaker is also developing.
Porsche believes improvements in the anode could yield 10 times more storage capacity.
The company says this could happen in the “medium term”.
Automakers are always looking for ways to improve the range and efficiency of their future electric models, and Porsche believes it has found a way to get as much as a ten-fold increase in energy density.
While many companies, including Porsche itself, are banking on solid-state batteries to resolve most of the issues that currently face EVs, the German automaker’s latest development doesn’t involve this technology.
According to Porsche, optimizing the anode in lithium-ion batteries by replacing graphite with silicon can allow it to store 10 times more energy than what is currently possible, which could result in range increases varying between 30 to 50%.
This means that future electric Porsche models could offer a range of up to 1,300 kilometres on a single charge.
More impressively, since this innovation is not reliant on solid-state batteries, it can be applied to production more quickly, which is why the company says its electric vehicles could benefit in the “medium term”.
While this is not a very clear indication, it seems likely that the automaker is talking in terms of years rather than decades.
In addition, optimizing the anode also allows for faster charging, dropping the time needed to go from 5% to 80% to just 15 minutes according to Porsche.
Of course, this doesn’t mean the company is abandoning research on solid-state batteries, which it expects will be able to achieve up to 50% better energy density and charging rates of up to 500 kW.
There are still drawbacks to both new technologies that will have to be worked out before they reach production, however.
Indeed, silicon anodes can expand by up to 300% when absorbing lithium, which can significantly shorten the life of the battery pack and the higher charging speeds that will be possible with solid-state batteries will require new chargers that feature active cooling in the socket.
Source: Carscoops
