Boffins at Nanyang Technology University (NTU) have developed ultra-fast charging batteries that can be recharged up to 70 per cent in only two minutes and will last for 20 years. The move could save electric vehicles, where consumers are put off by the long recharge times and its limited battery life.

The NTU technology by NTU, drivers of electric vehicles could save tens of thousands on battery replacement costs and can recharge their cars in just a matter of minutes. It could also transform the mobile industry as there would be no longer any need to charge them for hours. Charging could also be done from kiosks much more effectively.

In the new NTU-developed battery, the traditional graphite used for the anode (negative pole) in lithium-ion batteries is replaced with a new gel material made from titanium dioxide. Titanium dioxide is cheap as chips and is found in soil. It is commonly used as a food additive or in sunscreen lotions to absorb harmful ultraviolet rays. The NTU team has found a way to transform the titanium dioxide into tiny nanotubes. This speeds up the chemical reactions taking place in the new battery, allowing for superfast charging. 

The team will be applying for a Proof-of-Concept grant to build a large-scale battery prototype and they expect that the new generation of fast-charging batteries will hit the market in the next two years.