Volvo has announced a partnership with London-based startup Breathe Battery Technologies that will enable its electric vehicles to charge 30% faster.

Breathe develops battery management software that facilitates faster and greener electrification. This will enable electric vehicles to charge 30% faster in the range of 10% to 80%. Charging is expected to be faster throughout the battery’s full life cycle – the technology will not affect its performance.

The cooperation with Breathe is the result of an agreement to purchase its flagship product, Breathe Charge. This investment reflects Volvo’s ambition to be a leader in the development of premium electric vehicles and become a fully electric car manufacturer by 2030.

“Deploying our technology at scale on Volvo’s next generation of EV platform opens doors to innovative car designs and performance improvements. We share a profound passion for electric mobility, and convenient, fast charging is one of the cornerstone enablers for the future we strive towards,” said Ian Campbell, CEO of Breathe Battery Technologies.

Unlike traditional step charging, which is based on predefined rules, Breathe’s software uses adaptive charging to dynamically manage the battery in real time, significantly reducing charging time.

According to Volvo, the investment in Breathe will help achieve zero greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a circular economy by 2040. With this technology, the charging time of a car can be reduced without changing the battery design or mining additional materials. That is, without any additional environmental impact.