U.S. Dept. of Energy to Supercharge Development of ‘Extreme Fast Charging’ Systems

A Tesla Model S sedan at a charging station

The United States Department of Energy announced that it plans to provide up to $15 million on research projects to develop what it called “extreme fast charging” systems for electric vehicles as well as batteries capable of very fast charging.

The agency said the new systems will likely decrease charge time to 15 minutes or less, which is significantly lower than current charge times.

Developers are being asked to identify baseline plug-in EVs and propose how the new standard will improve charging times, demonstrate XFC technology, and provide detailed plans for charging locations and required infrastructure.

The Vehicle Technologies Office will focus on two areas, namely advanced battery projects that will emphasize early-stage research of battery cells that will make extreme fast charging possible, and electrification projects that will see the development and verification of electric drive systems and infrastructure for the extreme fast charging.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)