EV battery innovator StoreDot has expanded globally with the opening of its first U.S. research facility in Irvine, California.
The California innovation hub will be used to speed up the development of semi-solid battery technology and battery material research. Its location was chosen to access the wealth of talent in the West Coast of the U.S. and to strengthen the company’s relationship with U.S.-headquartered electric vehicle manufacturers, the company said.
The US team is headed by StoreDot’s global Chief Science Officer Dr David Lee with plans to expand the company’s U.S.-based R&D expertise. Dr Lee and his team will work in tandem with the company’s Israel-based R&D headquarters, enabling it to scale up globally and remain firmly on track for its 100inX strategic technology roadmap.
Announced last year, the roadmap will see the delivery of mass-produced battery cells capable of 100 miles of range in five minutes of charge by 2024, 100 miles in three minutes by 2028 and 100 miles in two minutes by 2032.
“With the growing activity of testing programs around the globe, the opening of our new US R&D innovation hub is further evidence of our rapid expansion,’’ said Dr Lee. “Now that we have an operational US base, we are looking to harness the world-class talent pool here to bolster the development of our leading XFC technology and its future generations.”
The company said it is currently yielding positive feedback from multiple global car makers after shipping 300 Wh/kg in EV form factor for real-world testing last year. These cells achieve a world-leading consecutive extreme-fast charging of above 1,000 cycles demonstrating a Silicon-dominant chemistry with no battery degradation due to XFC, it added.
The company has a growing network of strategic global partnerships and investors, spanning the entire battery ecosystem. To date it has received investments from global automotive manufacturers including Daimler, Ola Electric, Polestar, VinFast and Volvo Cars