UK engineering firm Nyobolt is testing its ultra-fast-charging and highly durable EV battery technology in a drivable version of its Lotus Elise-inspired concept.
Revealed last year as a static show car, the Nyobolt concept is a 470bhp, 1246kg electric reworking of the S1 Lotus Elise, designed by the man who penned the original, Julian Thomson.
Beneath its semi-familiar bodywork, the Nyobolt EV is a test bed for a new generation of battery that could represent a step change in electric vehicle range, charge times and longevity.
Cambridge-based Nyobolt says its high-density cell technology and battery management software could be used to optimise powertrains for "high-uptime" EVs that "demand high power and quick recharge cycles".
Initial testing with the running prototype this month has confirmed that its 35kWh battery can be charged from 10-80%, using a 350kW charger, in just 4min 37sec, which Nyobolt says is "twice the speed of most of the fastest-charging vehicles today".
Nyobolt has also carried out 4000 full fast-charge cycles – which it says represents travelling around 600,000 miles – and claims the battery retained more than 80% of its usable capacity.
"This is many multiples higher than the warranties of much larger EV batteries on the road today," it said.
While Nyobolt envisions a broad range of applications for this technology beyond cars, it is not pure coincidence that the company is showcasing its potential in an Elise-based prototype.
The company says a particular benefit of its cell technology is that it minimises the size and weight of the battery packs, with the concept tipping the scales at just 1246kg – scarcely more than a Renault Clio.
The company's director of vehicle battery systems, Shane Davies, touted the dynamic benefits of lightweight EV powertrains: "We can enable OEMs to build excitement back into the segment, which is literally weighed down by legacy battery currently.
"Our Nyobolt EV demonstrates the efficiency gains facilitated by our fast-charging, longer-life battery technology, enabling capacity to be right-sized while still delivering the required performance."
