Charging EV quicker than filling petrol? Chinese car maker's claim invites doubt

Fast charging technology in the electric vehicle industry is nothing new. Several electric cars and two-wheelers now come with fast charging technology onboard. This allows the battery onboard to be charged to a certain percentage in quick time. However, Chinese EV manufacturer GAC Aion is claiming something that can be termed lightning-fast charging.

The EV maker claims that its new charging technology allows an EV to be fully charged in time that is similar to the duration of filling petrol or diesle in a conventional vehicle. The EV company claims that its upcoming Aion V EV will come with this technology. It also claims that the super-fast charging won't damage the battery.

GAC Aion’s 3C fast charging is claimed to be allowing EVs to charge from 0-80% in 16 minutes and 30-80% in 10 minutes.

GAC Aion claimed that it has developed a scalable graphene battery system. This battery technology is claimed to be able to be charged super fast compared to current Li-ion batteries used by EVs.

The scalable graphene battery is also claimed to offer more than 1,000 km range on a single charge. Based on this, GAC Aion previously claimed that its Aion S EV would be able to beat Tesla with its significantly higher range.

However, such a claim by the EV company has been called out as a bluff by many. According to the battery experts, scalable graphene batteries for use in EVs are still a couple of years away. The solid-state batteries too are under development process. Several automakers around the world have been working on this technology. Solid-state batteries are claimed to come with better energy density enabling EVs with significantly improved range and charging time.

Aion is a sub-brand owned by Guangzhou Automobile Corporation (GAC) Group. The auto manufacturer focuses on only electric vehicles. It has so far launched four electric vehicles in the Chinese market.