Engineers are nearing the “holy grail” of batteries for electric vehicles. The technology currently being researched could allow five-hundred kilometers of travel for just ten minutes of charging time.

USTC professor Hengxing Ji, in Anthony Cuthbertson’s article for The Independent, published on Friday, October 9, 2020, said that when you take a lot of energy and a high charging rate it creates the most efficient battery.

“The combination of high energy, high [charging] rate, and long cycle life is the holy grail of battery research, which is determined by one of the key components of the battery: the electrode materials.”

The mixture of black phosphorus and graphite, which speeds of the energy transfer in lithium ion batteries, is what makes the batteries efficient and fast charging.

As of right now, the batteries in high end Teslas have a range of around five-hundred kilometers, but require between an hour to a day to fully charge.

With the improvement in batteries, electric cars become a more viable option for consumers.