Electric car maker Polestar has demonstrated new technology that allows for ultra-fast charging, hitting a speed of 370kW when charging a Polestar 5 prototype.

The technology, developed with battery firm Storedot, is named extreme fast charging (XFC) and uses silicon-dominant cells to charge at high speeds without degrading the battery. 

It also uses improved mechanics and cooling while weighing less. Its cells are lighter than those of a conventional EV battery and more recyclable, Polestar said. 

Should the technology be equipped to the 5 at market launch, as planned, it would significantly surpass the current fastest-charging EV currently on sale in the UK, the Porsche Taycan (320kW).

Polestar said the technology also offers improvements in charging speed consistency, with tests returning a steady charging rate of 310kW and a peak of 370kW - higher than that offered by any public charger in the UK today. 

Polestar said this was equivalent to adding 200 miles using a 77kWh battery in 10 minutes and that technology will also be usable on the brand’s larger 100kWh batteries in the future.

Polestar’s boss said the technology would help to overcome what is seen by the public as one of the biggest shortcomings of EVs, which is time-consuming charging stops when compared with petrol or diesel. 

“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,” said Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath.

“With this new technology, on longer journeys, when drivers do stop, they will 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.”