Among the many battery breakthroughs that seem to never come to fruition are arguably promising plans from StoreDot. The company has been touting its extreme fast charging (XFC) battery cells for some time now, they've been validated by third parties, and they're being tested by at least 15 automakers. Now, it appears they'll officially make their way into passenger EVs sooner rather than later.
StoreDot's battery tech may have seemed unrealistic much like many on the long list of battery breakthroughs. However, the company has been very thorough, proven the tech itself, encouraged others to prove it, and is now offering it up to various EV producers.
According to a recent report by Electrek, VinFast has plans to adopt StoreDot's first-generation EV battery cells as soon as they come to market in 2025. StoreDot recently announced that EV makers choosing to adopt its upcoming technology could help further spark EV adoption by allowing for smaller, less expensive, fast-charging battery packs.
If an EV battery pack charges much more quickly, the car hypothetically won't require as much driving range. This means it could have a smaller, lighter battery pack, which is cheaper and more sustainable. The lighter EV would also benefit from better efficiency and performance.
Early last year, VinFast was the top investor in StoreDot's D funding round. The battery maker also received investments from the likes of Mercedes-Benz, Polestar, and Samsung. This January, StoreDot shared its plans to open a research center in Irvine, California.
VinFast is part of the VinGroup in Vietnam, which is home to another related affiliate called VinES. Electrek says VinES researches, develops, and manufactures lithium-ion batteries for "mobility and energy storage."
The company, along with StoreDot, will work to ready and produce the XFC battery cells in various form factors to prep for their launch and mass production. This will require StoreDot to share its licenses for the technology with VinES. CEO of VinES Pham Thuy Linh said:
"With the XFC technology, we believe it will offer improved customer experience, provide cost savings, and remove charging time anxiety entirely."
