Polestar 5 with StoreDot cells charges to 80 per cent in ten minutes

StoreDot had already demonstrated this charging time in a video in May 2022 – at that time, however, with a single cell under laboratory conditions. According to the two partners, the charging process now announced is therefore “the world’s first demonstration of extremely fast charging with silicon-dominated cells in a roadworthy vehicle”.

The Polestar 5 is a roadworthy prototype – described by Polestar itself as ‘Verification Prototype #1’. During the charging process, the vehicle showed an increasing charging power – at the beginning it was 310 kW and at the end of the charging process even 370 kW at the peak. According to Polestar, the “specially commissioned” battery has an energy content of 77 kWh. In the window from ten to 80 per cent, around 54 kWh were recharged, which corresponds to an average of 324 kW over a ten-minute period.

The battery should “potentially be expandable to at least 100 kWh”. Such an energy storage system could recharge a “medium-sized electric car” with a range of just under 320 kilometres in ten minutes. In its press release, Polestar remains conspicuously often in the subjunctive mood: “The XFC test was developed by Polestar and StoreDot engineers to provide proof of concept for the XFC battery technology that could be used in future Polestar vehicles.” The announcement should not be read as a confirmation that the series version of the Polestar 5 announced for 2025 will definitely be launched with StoreDot cells. However, it has already been confirmed that SK On will supply battery cells for the Polestar 5. The release with StoreDot is officially a demonstration test. However, in view of the results, this could lead to an agreement for the series model – but it doesn’t have to.

StoreDot is working on so-called silicon-dominated cells. Their energy density should be “comparable to that of the latest NMC cells”, and enable batteries of up to 100 kWh. The high charging capacity cannot only be achieved with special chargers – according to Polestar, the technology already installed today in the form of 350 kW charging stations is sufficient. Another advantage of the XFC cells is that they require “no specialist cooling systems in the vehicle”, as Polestar puts it. “The experimental XFC battery’s modules have a structural function which improves mechanical properties and cooling ability while maintaining or reducing weight levels, with high recyclability and serviceability also paramount in the design of the pack,” the press release states. “High recyclability and ease of maintenance are of paramount importance in the design of the packs.”

“Time is one of life’s greatest luxuries, and as a manufacturer of luxury electric performance cars, we need to take the next step to address one of the biggest barriers to EV ownership – charging anxiety,” says Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath. “With this new technology, on longer journeys when drivers do stop they’ll be able to spend less time charging and be back on the road faster than before. In fact, that stop time will be more akin to what they experience with a petrol car today.”

Doron Myersdorf, CEO of StoreDot, added: “We are very excited to share this impressive achievement today and proud to be on this journey with Polestar. Polestar’s commitment acknowledges that extreme fast charging technology is necessary to make widespread electric car adoption a reality. This breakthrough revolutionises ownership by eradicating the barrier of range and charging anxiety once and for all as drivers will be able to travel long distances with the same freedom and convenience as traditional fossil fuel-powered vehicles.”

polestar.com (announcement), polestar.com (video)