A Chinese startup says its new battery for electric cars doesn’t lose charge in the cold

Chinese startup Greater Bay Technology claims its latest battery for electric vehicles can charge at a normal rate even in low temperatures and does not lose charge in the cold, reports Engadget.

Huang Xiangdong, the company’s co-founder and chairman, says the new Phoenix cell uses superconducting materials and thermal regulation to heat from -20 to 25 degrees Celsius in just five minutes, allowing the battery to charge “within six minutes in all weather conditions,” reports Bloomberg.

“The Phoenix battery not only addresses the long charging time for EVs, but other pain points,” Huang said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a hot day or a cold day, the Phoenix battery’s range won’t be affected.”

Loss of charging efficiency in cold weather has been a persistent obstacle in the EV battery market. Other automakers, including Polestar and GM, have tackled the problem by adding heat pumps, and German company ZF has even developed a prototype heated seat belt to reduce the energy used to heat the interior.

The new Phoenix cell is said to have a range of 1,000 km (621 miles). The company plans to introduce the battery to the public next year in Aion electric vehicles, the third most popular electric vehicle brand in China.

Aion is part of the state-owned Guangzhou Automobile Corporation, whose startup incubator includes Greater Bay Technology. Even though the company was founded only two years ago, today it is valued at more than $1 billion.