Photo: Samsung SDI
Samsung SDI, a battery specialist from South Korea, came to the 2017 Detroit Auto Show with a new kind of battery cell.
So far, nothing special, right? Well, not exactly. Samsung says that the new battery can provide a range of up to 372 miles (600 kilometers) on a full charge, and that its capacity can reach enough for a range of 310 miles (500 km) in just 20 minutes on the fast charger. The new battery pack has 10% fewer units than current packs made by Samsung SDI, and it's 10% lighter.
Thanks to all of these improvements, Samsung SDI will be able to provide a battery for EVs that will have a maximum driving range of 600 km on a full charge, without counting any regenerated energy gathered during braking.
Those vehicles will be able to obtain up to 500 kilometers of charge in just 20 minutes on a fast-charge plug, which is not a long time to wait for an EV.
At this point, you might imagine that Samsung SDI has dramatically changed the world with its product, and you will see electric vehicles everywhere, and each will be able to drive for just as much as a conventional car without an extremely economical engine or a huge tank. Just a second - there’s a catch: Samsung will start manufacturing those batteries in the year 2021.
You will have to wait four more years until Samsung gets the new battery packs in production, and probably a few extra months until they get built into electric cars. It may take even longer, because automakers will probably want to test the new cells in all conditions to ensure they operate flawlessly.
Fortunately, Samsung SDI is not the only player in the EV battery industry, and every company on the market is currently focusing on getting the next breakthrough in the field. Some want to make cheaper batteries, others want smaller and lighter units with a bigger capacity, and consumers want all three in a single package. Eventually, a solution will come for all of these needs.
Thanks to all of these improvements, Samsung SDI will be able to provide a battery for EVs that will have a maximum driving range of 600 km on a full charge, without counting any regenerated energy gathered during braking.
Those vehicles will be able to obtain up to 500 kilometers of charge in just 20 minutes on a fast-charge plug, which is not a long time to wait for an EV.
At this point, you might imagine that Samsung SDI has dramatically changed the world with its product, and you will see electric vehicles everywhere, and each will be able to drive for just as much as a conventional car without an extremely economical engine or a huge tank. Just a second - there’s a catch: Samsung will start manufacturing those batteries in the year 2021.
You will have to wait four more years until Samsung gets the new battery packs in production, and probably a few extra months until they get built into electric cars. It may take even longer, because automakers will probably want to test the new cells in all conditions to ensure they operate flawlessly.
Fortunately, Samsung SDI is not the only player in the EV battery industry, and every company on the market is currently focusing on getting the next breakthrough in the field. Some want to make cheaper batteries, others want smaller and lighter units with a bigger capacity, and consumers want all three in a single package. Eventually, a solution will come for all of these needs.
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