Charging at Lightning Speed: Exponent Energy Stack Powers 15-Minute EV Charging

Exponent Energy has introduced a new technology that drives its revolutionary 15-minute rapid charging solution tailored for the electric vehicle (EV) industry. The company showcased its proprietary energy stack, which includes a battery pack (e^pack), charging station (e^pump), and charging connector (e^plug). This innovative combination allows for an impressive 15-minute fast charging capability and significantly extends the battery life, offering a warranty of 3000 cycles, which is three times more than the industry standard. Notably, this achievement was accomplished using conventional LFP cells, making it a groundbreaking advancement in the history of EVs.

Fast charging removes worries about how far the electric car can go before running out of power and avoids the need for expensive, big batteries. Exponent’s electric vehicles will become 30% cheaper thanks to their smart approach: using a smaller, optimized battery (30% smaller) and offering a 5-year payment plan. Additionally, the 15-minute fast charging reduces the cost of charging the electric car by 33%.

Tackling Lithium platine to prevent significant cell degradation

During the charging process of a cell, lithium ions flow from the cathode to the anode and become absorbed. Charging the cell at a faster rate increases the flow of ions, leading to congestion around the anode. If not managed properly, this crowding can result in lithium plating, causing considerable degradation to the cell.

Exponent addresses this challenge by employing a combination of their Battery Management System, which is ten times more accurate than the industry standard, along with a Virtual Cell Model and Dynamic Charging Algorithms. These innovative technologies enable real-time detection of lithium crowding, ensuring rapid charging of each cell while minimizing significant degradation risks.

This method was confirmed through testing by an independent laboratory, TUV India (TUV Nord Group, Germany), which observed only a 13% degradation after 3000 charging cycles lasting 15 minutes each. Rapid charging for 15 minutes generates a significant amount of heat – 256 times more than the industry’s average 4-hour charging. If this heat is not effectively removed, it can cause the battery pack to overheat and shut down.

Moreover, in India, where the ambient temperature is 40°C or higher, Li-ion cells have a lower thermal sweet spot of 25-35 degrees. Addressing this issue requires advanced HVAC Systems, which are both bulky and expensive. Importantly, this high level of heat is generated solely during rapid charging and not during regular driving.

Thus, Exponent has developed an advanced HVAC system that is located “off-board” from the vehicle and connected to its e^pump. During charging, the e^pump transfers refrigerated water through the e^plug to cool each Li-ion cell in the e^pack. This guarantees that the e^pack’s temperature remains below 35 degrees Celsius, regardless of the ambient temperature. As a result of off-boarding the costly system, Exponent’s EVs become both affordable and lightweight.

Speaking about this development, Arun Vinayak, CEO, and Co-founder of Exponent Energy, stated, “At Exponent, we are forging the future of energy, combining cutting-edge engineering with practical economics, and our thermal management system is a testament to that vision.”

He expressed, “To enable widespread adoption of electric vehicles, consumers require EVs that charge faster, have longer lifespans, and are more cost-effective. Our unique two-sided approach to 15-minute rapid charging not only makes EVs last three times longer but also reduces their cost by 30% compared to traditional EVs. We are thrilled to introduce this solution to cities like Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Ahmedabad, and scale it across India!”

During the last three months, Exponent achieved significant milestones, completing over 25,000 rapid charging sessions, covering a distance of over 10,00,000 kilometers with more than 200 EVs powered by Exponent operating in Bengaluru.

Exponent’s 15-minute rapid charging also unlocks higher energy throughput enabling the company to build the most profitable and scalable EV charging network. Their e^pump in Mahadevapura, Bengaluru did a whooping 41 charging sessions in a single day setting a new benchmark in the EV industry.

The company is looking to expand its operations in five more cities – Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai and Ahmedabad by the end of FY ’24 and is targeting to deploy 1,000 e^pumps and 25,000 EVs powered by Exponent, by 2025.

Exponent’s 15-minute rapid charging not only allows for higher energy throughput but also unlocks the potential for building the most profitable and scalable EV charging network. Their e^pump located in Mahadevapura, Bengaluru achieved an impressive milestone by completing 41 charging sessions in a single day, setting a new benchmark in the EV industry.

The company has ambitious plans for expansion and aims to establish its presence in five more cities – Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Ahmedabad by the end of the fiscal year 2024. Their target is to deploy 1,000 e^pumps and have 25,000 EVs powered by Exponent in operation by the year 2025.