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Harvard develops a solid state battery that charges in minutes [update]
Researchers at Harvard University have developed a solid state battery that can be recharged in 10 minutes, and now it’s got Series A funding to scale production.
October 23 update: Adden Energy has raised $15 million in a Series A round led by At One Ventures with participation from Primavera Capital Group, Rhapsody Venture Partners, and MassVentures to scale production and bring solid state battery technology to car manufacturers.
The company will use the funding to construct a roll-to-roll pilot line production facility at its headquarters in Waltham, Massachusetts.
Adden Energy has already demonstrated technology that can deliver its battery in EV-compatible, commercially compatible pouch cell form-factors; this Series A-funded production line will enable it to scale the size of the batteries 100x.
Laurie Menoud, partner at At One Ventures and board member at Adden Energy, said, “Our investment in this technology is a signal of how important we know this to be, and it’s also our confidence level in Adden Energy’s ability to win market share through competitive unit economics. With the added energy density of lithium metal anodes, the cost per kilowatt hour is going to drop by 30%, and that is going to be a significant driver of adoption.”
Adden Energy says its next-generation batteries are on track to reach the goal of EV parity with internal combustion engines by 2028.
Harvard’s latest solid-state battery breakthrough
January 15, 2024: The lithium metal battery researchers developed at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) can also be charged and discharged at least 6,000 times — more than any other pouch battery cell.
The research published in Nature Materials describes a new way to make solid-state batteries with a lithium metal anode. Xin Li, Associate Professor of Materials Science at SEAS and senior author of the paper, said:
Lithium metal anode batteries are considered the holy grail of batteries because they have ten times the capacity of commercial graphite anodes and could drastically increase the driving distance of electric vehicles.
Our research is an important step toward more practical solid-state batteries for industrial and commercial applications.
One of the biggest challenges in designing solid-state batteries is the formation of dendrites on the surface of the anode. Dendrites are projections of metal that can build up on the lithium surface and grow like roots into the electrolyte. They pierce the barrier that separates the anode and cathode, causing the battery to short or even catch fire.
The dendrites form when lithium ions move from the cathode to the anode during charging, attaching to the surface of the anode in a process called plating. That creates an uneven, non-homogeneous surface on the anode, and allows dendrites to take root.
When discharged, that plaque-like coating needs to be stripped from the anode, and when plating is uneven, the stripping process can be slow and result in potholes that induce even more uneven plating in the next charge.
In 2021, the team designed a multilayer battery that sandwiched different materials of varying stabilities between the anode and cathode. This design prevented the penetration of lithium dendrites by controlling and containing them – but it didn’t stop them altogether.
But in this latest research, the researchers stop dendrites from forming by using micron-sized silicon particles in the anode to constrict the lithiation reaction and facilitate homogeneous plating of a thick layer of lithium metal.
In the Harvard researchers’ design, when lithium ions move from the cathode to the anode during charging, the lithiation reaction is constricted at the shallow surface and the ions attach to the surface of the silicon particle, but don’t penetrate further.
“In our design, lithium metal gets wrapped around the silicon particle, like a hard chocolate shell around a hazelnut core in a chocolate truffle,” said Li.
And, because plating and stripping can happen quickly on an even surface, the battery can recharge in about 10 minutes.
The researchers built a postage stamp-sized pouch cell version of the battery, which is 10 to 20 times larger than the coin cell made in most university labs. The solid-state battery retained 80% of its capacity after 6,000 cycles, outperforming other pouch cell batteries on the market today.
Harvard Office of Technology Development licensed the technology to Adden Energy, a Harvard spinoff company cofounded by Li and three Harvard alumni. Adden Energy has scaled up the technology to build a smart phone-sized pouch cell battery.
Electrek’s Take
This is yet another milestone achieved in the solid-state battery saga. The ultimate challenge is still bringing them to mass-production at a lower price than lithium-ion batteries. That will be the real game-changer for EVs.
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Electric vehicles’ share of the market continues to climb in America’s second city, with BEV registrations up more than 50% in the first quarter of 2025 compared with the same period last year. Great news, but charging hasn’t up – but a new plan from Chicago Department of Transportation aims to build up enough infrastructure for the city to keep up.
In a bid to keep up with the rapid growth of EVs, Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT is currently seeking public feedback on a plan called “Chicago Moves Electric Framework.” The city’s first such plan, it outlines initiatives that include a curbside charging pilot through the city’s utility, ComEd, and expanded charging access in key areas throughout the city.
Unlike other such plans, however, the new plan aims to focus on bringing electric vehicle charging to EIEC and low income communities, too.
“Through this framework, we are setting clear goals and identifying solutions that reflect the voices of our residents, communities, and regional partners,” said CDOT Commissioner Tom Carney. “By prioritizing equity and public input, we’re creating a roadmap for electric transportation that serves every neighborhood and helps drive down emissions across Chicago.”
Neighborhoods on the south and west sides of Chicago experience a disproportionate amount of air pollution and diesel emissions, largely due to vehicle emissions according to CDOT. Despite that, most of Chicago’s public charging stations are clustered in higher-income areas while just 7.8% are in environmental justice neighborhoods that face higher environmental burdens.
“Too often, communities facing the greatest economic and transportation barriers also experience the most air pollution,” explains Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. “By prioritizing investments in historically underserved areas and making clean transportation options more affordable and accessible, we can improve both mobility and public health.”
The Framework identifies other near-term policy objectives, as well – such as streamlining the EV charger installation process for businesses and residents and implementing “Low-Emission Zones” in areas disproportionately impacted by air pollution by limiting, or even restricting, access to conventional medium- and heavy-duty vehicles during peak hours.
The Chicago Moves Electric Framework includes the installation of Level 2 and DC fast charging stations in public locations such as libraries and Chicago’s Midway Airport, “supporting not only personal EVs but also electric taxis, ride-hail and commercial fleets.”
Chicago has a goal of installing 2,500 public passenger EV charging stations and electrifying the city’s entire municipal vehicle fleet by 2035.
Electrek’s Take
I hate to sound like a bed-wetting liberal here, guys, but Chicago is getting EVs absolutely right with big utility incentives on both vehicles and infrastructure, a governor willing to stand behind smart environmental policy, and a solid push for more and better infrastructure in the areas where they’ll do the most good. They’re even thinking of the children.
Here’s hoping more cities follow suit.
SOURCE: ComEd, via Smart Cities Dive; featured image by EVgo.
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With a fully-enclosed, G-Wagen-inspired body and an 80 mile electric range, the Bodo G-Wagon golf cart is the NEV you need when you decide it’s time to get serous one-upping the rest of the Palm Beach country clubbers.
If you love the look of the $230,000 Mercedes-Benz G580 off-roader, but think the 579 hp, 6,800 lb. electric 4×4 is probably overkill for occasional trips to the golf course and country club, this G-Wagen-inspired golf cart might be just what you’re looking for.
The shiny black 2024 Bodo G-Wagon sold at Mecum Auctions last month for $31,900, which seems like it might not be a lot of money to the sort of person who decides to take a flyer on a goofy, limited-use EV that ships with real, metal doors, power windows, heating and air conditioning, fully digital instrument cluster and infotainment, and a “posh,” caramel leather interior.
It even has windshield wipers, power steering, and a rear-seat entertainment system that’s built into the front headrests!
It’s really nice in there
Under the hood, the Bodo packs a 15 kW (20 hp) electric motor drawing power from a 10 kWh li-ion battery that won’t deliver a scorching 0-60 mph time (it only goes 35), but will deliver you and your buddies from one end of any golf course in North America and back several times over, thanks to the G-Wagon’s 80 mile range.
The official Mecum Auctions listing goes into a bit more detail, and I’ve included it here, in case it gets deleted after a while and you’re just finding this for the first time in 2027:
Be the envy of any country club or golf community showing up with this 2024 Bodo G-Wagon Golf Cart. Perhaps more appropriately known as an E-Wagon, this baby G-Wagon is powered by a 15kW motor with a 10kWh lithium battery. Boasting an 80-mile range and a 35 MPH top speed, the Bodo is an enclosed, luxury golf cart that pampers occupants with heating and air conditioning, rear-seat entertainment, power windows, power locks and a posh, caramel-colored interior. With the Bodo fitted with power steering and 4-wheel power disc brakes with brake boost, drivers will think they’re in a full-size G-Wagon, thanks to the multiscreen entertainment cluster, the rearview camera, windshield wipers, turn signals, running lights and so much more.
Finished in black with the right amount of brightwork, the overall vibe is one of jaw-dropping, smile-inducing fun. While the Bodo would be an excellent choice for any golf community, it should also prove to be hugely popular around a race track or car condo community as well, or maybe even a neighborhood with its own airplane runways. Over the past decade in particular, the demand for unique, luxury golf carts has been on the rise, and understandably so. The number of luxury communities with specific interests in sports, aero and auto has also been on the rise, with people buying homes in these exclusive locations to better engage with like-minded people. All too often a golf cart is the perfect way to get around these gated neighborhoods, and this one is enclosed, comes with the amenities of a full-size car and is infinitely more stylish.
You can check out a few more photos of the 2024 Bodo G-Wagon golf cart that sold at Mecum, below – and if you want one for yourself, you’re in luck! I found this brand-new 2025 “G600 E-Wagon” (in white) for $23,900 at Gulf Carts in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. Head on down to the comments and let us know if you buy it.
G-Wagon golf cart gallery
SOURCE | LOTS MORE PHOTOS: Mecum Auctions.
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