Toronto, Ontario — An EV battery developer based in China believes it has cracked the code to cold-proof batteries with the recent unveiling of the “Phoenix cell”; a new battery capable of heating itself from -20C to 25C in five minutes.
Huang Xiangdong, co-founder and chairman of Greater Bay Technology, says that his company’s new battery is integrated with superconducting materials and thermal management technology to allow the Phoenix to appropriately heat the battery based on whatever weather conditions it finds itself in.
“We all know the range of EVs is greatly affected in cold regions, making it a terrible user experience,” Huang told Bloomberg on Tuesday. “The Phoenix battery not only addresses the long charging time for EVs, but other pain points. It does not matter if it’s a hot day or a cold day, the Phoenix battery’s range will not be affected.”
Greater Bay Technology was formed as the offspring of popular Chinese automaker Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC) in 2020, though the two companies maintain close ties as Phoenix batteries are expected to find their way into GAC’s line of Aion EVs at some point next year.
Bloomberg also reported that Greater Bay has been pitching the Phoenix battery to other automakers in the hopes of being the catalyst for wider adoption.
“Once EVs can be driven and maintained like gasoline cars, then there is a greater chance for mass adoption,” said Huang.
