China's Zeekr tackles EV range anxiety with 10-minute battery charge

The race to end electric-car range anxiety has taken a giant leap forward with China’s Zeekr unveiling a battery that can charge in just over 10 minutes.

The upgraded lithium iron phosphate battery will charge from 10 percent to 80 percent in 10 1/2-minutes when connected to Zeekr’s V3 ultra-fast charging station, the company said in a statement on Aug.13.

Range anxiety — the fear an EV battery will run out of power before reaching your destination or drivers will get stuck in long queues at charging stations — is one of the main impediments to electric car adoption.

That has seen plug-in hybrids gain popularity as the initial wave of EV purchases peaks and sparked an arms race among battery makers for ever-more powerful and quicker-charging cells. 

The new batteries will be available in the Zeekr 007 sedan, with deliveries to begin next week.

Even in cold conditions as low as minus 10C — when batteries degrade faster — the cells will be able to charge to 80 percent in around 30 minutes, Zeekr said.

Zeekr, an electric-only brand, is part of Geely, which also owns Volvo, Polestar, Lynk & Co, Lotus Cars and the London EV Company.

Zeekr says it has delivered over 300,000 vehicles since its launch in October 2021. It has announced plans to sell vehicles in European, Latin American, and other Asian markets besides China.