![Polestar shows off 5 GT charging capabilities, replenishing 10-80% in just ten minutes [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/04/Polestar-5-charging-hero.jpg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
Polestar shows off 5 GT charging capabilities, replenishing 10-80% in just ten minutes [Video]
Polestar is showcasing the charging capabilities of the upcoming Polestar 5 sports sedan using a prototype model and StoreDot’s Extreme Fast Charging (XFC) technology. This is the first EV to test StoreDot’s ultra-fast charging technology, and the initial tests are quite promising.
When it arrives, the Polestar 5 will be—you guessed it—the fifth model in the Geely-owned automaker’s EV portfolio. The all-electric sports sedan’s inception stems from the Precept concept, and Polestar continues to be one of the few automakers that actually evolves its concepts into production vehicles.
The production prototype version of the Polestar 5 debuted in late 2021, equipped with carriage doors and a “Smart Zone” grille that houses many of the sensors for the EV’s ADAS. In July 2023, a camouflaged prototype of the 5 appeared publicly at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, touting 884 horsepower and Polestar’s 800V architecture that will enable ultra-fast charging speeds.
By November 2023, we learned that EV battery specialist StoreDot would trial its new 100in5 battery technology in the Polestar 5, giving the 4-door GT charging capabilities of garnering 100 miles of range in just 5 minutes.
These fast-charging cells have since become the nucleus of StoreDot’s I-BEAM XFC concept design, which is targeting mass production later this year. Before the Polestar 5 and fast-charging architecture hit the market, however, both Polestar and StoreDot are showing off those capabilities, and they’re quite impressive.
Polestar 5 prototype surpasses 370 kW charging rate
Per Polestar, the first verification prototype of the 5 GT successfully demonstrated the promised charging rates enabled by StoreDot’s XFC technology, charging from 10-80% in just ten minutes. The companies shared that the 5 held a consistent charge rate during the session, starting at 310 kW before surpassing 370 kW.
By comparison to the current market, those are some of the higher charge rates achieved by a BEV and offer encouraging results for a future in which drivers can park, recharge, and get back on the road more similarly to the time it would take to stop and refill an ICE vehicle at a gas station. Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath shared a similar sentiment:
Time is one of life’s greatest luxuries, and as a manufacturer of luxury electric performance cars, we need to take the next step to address one of the biggest barriers to EV ownership – charging anxiety. With this new technology, on longer journeys when drivers do stop they’ll be able to spend less time charging and be back on the road faster than before. In fact, that stop time will be more akin to what they experience with a petrol car today.
The Polestar 5 prototype houses a specially commissioned 77 kWh pack, with charging speeds bolstered by StoreDot’s silicon-dominant cells. However, the automaker says the battery pack has the capability to be increased to at least 100 kWh, enabling the BEV to recoup 200 miles of range in a ten-minute charge.
When the Precept became the Polestar 5, the automaker aimed to reach the market in 2024. However, the company’s current focus is on the two SUVs that will precede the GT – the Polestar 3 and 4. While we await the Polestar 5’s arrival on the market, you can check out its prototype’s charging capabilities in the video below:
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Environment
Beta Technologies founder completes first test flight in its production-intent eCTOL [Video]
![Beta Technologies founder completes first test flight in its production-intent eCTOL [Video]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/11/Beta-test-flight-eCTOL-mountains.jpg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
All-electric aircraft developer BETA Technologies has shared another important milestone in bringing its first two vessels to market. Most recently, BETA’s founder, CEO, and test pilot Kyle Clark took the production version of its ALIA eCTOL up for its first flight, as seen in the video below.
BETA Technologies is a fully integrated electric aircraft and systems developer based in Vermont. Three years ago, it debuted its first electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, the ALIA–250. That BETA vessel has since been renamed the ALIA VTOL and completed a piloted test flight transitioning mid-air this past April.
In addition to the ALIA VTOL, BETA has also been developing an electric conventional takeoff and landing (eCTOL) plane called the ALIA CTOL. To date, it has flown tens of thousands of test miles en route to evaluation flights for FAA certification. That aircraft is targeting full approval for commercial operations by 2025.
As BETA moves closer to bringing the ALIA CTOL to the public, it has completed its first bonafide production build in South Burlington. Following a Special Airworthiness Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), BETA has successfully taken its production-ready ALIA CTOL up for a test flight, piloted by its founder and CEO.
Watch BETA’s founder complete a CTOL test flight
BETA Technologies shared details of its first successful production CTOL test flight today alongside the images above and the full video below.
Once the production-intent build of the ALIA CTOL was complete, the FAA inspected the aircraft for safety and compliance before granting BETA a Multipurpose Special Airworthiness Certificate for Experimental Research & Development, Market Survey, and Crew Training, signing-off approval for test flights.
On November 13, BETA CEO, founder, and test pilot Kyle Clark conducted the first test flight of the ALIA CTOL aircraft, which lasted nearly an hour. The test included a conventional runway takeoff before the aircraft climbed to 7,000 feet.
While in the air, Clark tested the aircraft’s handling qualities, stability, control test points, and initial airspeed expansion before completing several approaches ahead of a normal landing. Clark spoke following the successful flight:
This start of our production CX300 flight test campaign is a result of years of hard work and focus on studying customer requirements, hard engineering, manufacturing, production, quality and test. It represents a significant milestone for BETA, and is the beginning of an exciting new phase for the business. With this, we’re one step closer to putting this technology into the hands of our customers.
We learned a lot from this first production build. We weren’t just building an aircraft company, we were building and refining a system to build high quality aircraft efficiently. This first build allowed the team to collect data and insight on manufacturing labor, tooling design, processes, yields and sequences, all of which are being used to refine our production systems.
With its production test flight campaign now underway, BETA says it will continue testing the ALIA CTOL aircraft for the standard 50 hours required before qualifying for a Market Survey and Crew Training certificate. That next certificate will enable BETA to fly outside of Burlington and Plattsburgh and continue training additional pilots on the aircraft.
The company shared it will also continue production of additional aircraft, including ALIA CTOL and ALIA VTOL configurations, the latter of which was recently teased in October. You can view footage of BETA’s CTOL flight below.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Crude oil futures rose slightly on Thursday, with the U.S. benchmark trading around $69 per barrel, though the market outlook remains bearish.
Global crude supplies are expected to outstrip demand by more than 1 million barrels per day next year led by robust growth in the U.S., according to the International Energy Agency’s monthly market report.
Here are today’s energy prices by 8:07 a.m. ET:
- West Texas Intermediate December contract: $68.92 per barrel, up 49 cents, or 0.7%. Year to date, U.S. crude oil is down more than 3%.
- Brent January contract: $72.78 per barrel, up 50 cents, or 0.7%. Year to date, the global benchmark is down more than 5%.
- RBOB Gasoline December contract: $1.9711 per gallon, up 0.3%. Year to date, gasoline has fallen nearly 6%.
- Natural Gas December contract: $2.966 per thousand cubic feet, down 0.6%. Year to date, gas has gained nearly 18%.
UBS slashed its price forecast for global benchmark Brent to $80 per barrel from $87 previously on weakening demand in China, the world’s largest crude importer.
OPEC on Tuesday cut its demand growth forecast for the fourth month in a row earlier this week.
U.S. crude oil has shed about 4% and Brent is down 3.5% since Donald Trump won the U.S. presidential as the dollar has surged. A stronger U.S. dollar can depress oil demand among buyers that hold other currencies.
Leading electric vehicle analyst, author, and industry thought leaders Loren McDonald and Bill Ferro stop by Quick Charge to discuss EV Adoption’s acquisition by Paren, the “crisis” of EV charging reliability, and the real state of the EV market.
Depending on who you listen, EVs are either driving brands to record growth and are about cross that critical 10% of the overall market nationwide, or the future is bleak, the market is down, and EVs just aren’t selling. What’s really going on? Loren and Bill (probably) have some answers.
Today’s episode is sponsored by BLUETTI, a leading provider of portable power stations, solar generators, and energy storage systems. For a limited time, save up to 52% during BLUETTI’s exclusive Black Friday sale, now through November 28, and be sure to use promo code BLUETTI5OFF for 5% off all power stations site wide. Click here to learn more.
Source Links
Prefer listening to your podcasts? Audio-only versions of Quick Charge are now available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.
New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded, usually, Monday through Thursday (and sometimes Sunday). We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage daily news!
Got news? Let us know!
Drop us a line at tips@electrek.co. You can also rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show!
Read more: All my favorite EVs, racecars, and robots from Electrify Expo Austin.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports7 months agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Environment1 year agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Sports3 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business2 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway