SK On has won the ‘Best Innovation in Fast Charging’ award at the ‘2024 Interbattery Awards’ with its Advanced SF (Super Fast) battery, featuring evolved fast charging performance.
SK On announced on the 5th that it will receive the award at the Interbattery Awards ceremony held on the 6th at the COEX in Gangnam, Seoul.
The Advanced SF battery is an innovative product that increases energy density by 9% while maintaining the rapid charging time compared to the previous SF battery. If the energy density is the same, the fast charging performance is about 18% improved compared to the existing SF battery. Typically, a 10% increase in energy density results in a 20% increase in charging time.
This battery is installed in the Kia EV9. With a single charge, it can travel up to 501 km. SK On will showcase the battery and the vehicle at this event, and the battery will also be on display in a special section of the Interbattery Awards.
SK On revealed the SF battery in 2021, which can charge from 10% to 80% in just 18 minutes. It is a high nickel battery with an 83% nickel content, capable of over 400 km of range on a single charge. At that time, it was recognized for its fastest charging speed among commercially available batteries, receiving accolades like the CES 2023 Innovation Award. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6, featuring this battery, were named ‘Car of the Year’ at various prestigious awards, including the acclaimed ‘2022 World Car Awards (WCA)’.
The Advanced SF battery is a result of SK On’s continuous improvement of its proprietary fast charging technology. The charging speed of a battery is determined by the movement distance and speed of lithium ions. When energy density is high, the anode resistance increases during charging, slowing the movement speed of lithium ions and prolonging charging time.
SK On has significantly reduced anode resistance through a special coating technique and applied an anode alignment method to shorten the pathway of lithium ions. Additionally, it has optimized the fast charging protocol with analytical technology capable of maximizing battery charging speed, thereby achieving both ‘energy density’ and ‘fast charging.’
According to SK On, “The key to electric vehicle technology lies in charging time and driving range; we have made global research and development achievements with high nickel batteries like NCM9, Z-folding technology that reduces fire risk, and S-PACK, which incorporates cell-to-pack technology. We will continue to lead the global battery market in the future,” they explained.
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr