This New Tech Could Make Volvo EVs Charge 30% Faster

One of the main arguments against switching to EVs revolves around charging time. Filling a battery with electricity takes significantly longer than pumping a tank full of gas — but that is rapidly changing. Volvo is the latest company to announce a major leap forward when it comes to EV charging — and its electric vehicles could go from around 10% charge to 80% up to 30% faster.

The new charging tech comes courtesy of the Swedish auto manufacturer's partnership with Breathe Battery Technologies — with investment coming via The Volvo Cars Tech Fund. The new charging method centers on an algorithm-managed adaptive charging system that allows drivers to jam a lot of juice into their vehicle's power cells without risking things like lithium plating — which will permanently reduce the battery's capacity and effectiveness. It does this by dynamically weighing up charge rates and levels against the battery's health. Theoretically, this allows you to get the most out of your vehicle's rapid charging range.

As an environmental bonus, the system works with Volvo's batteries, sparing the company a redesign and requiring no additional materials. It can also be scaled almost infinitely, so Volvo's current production methods won't really need to change — again, sparing some impact on the company's carbon footprint.

While the charging tech is software-based, it might not make it into Volvo's current generation of EVs. In a blog post related to the new battery system, Volvo claims it will "implement the new technology in our new generation fully electric cars." Volvo's first all-electric car was announced in 2019 and released in 2020 — so it likely means that the faster charging vehicles have yet to leave the production line. Still, there will be plenty of all-electric Swedish automobiles using this technology in the future. Like many other electric carmakers, Volvo plans to switch its entire output to electric vehicles by 2030.

If you want to try out the new charging tech for yourself, Volvo's next generation of EVs is expected to start hitting customers' driveways in 2025. Production of the ES90, one of Volvo's new vehicles, is starting in mid-2024 — so even if you won't be driving one personally, you may see the new charging system in action sooner rather than later.