Prieto Battery Unveils Fast-Charging Lithium Battery for EV

Energy Business Review | Friday, June 02, 2023

Prieto Battery reveals a patented nonflammable EV lithium-ion battery design that provides users with quick charging

FREMONT, CA: "Prieto's battery is the only battery that we are aware of that will not only operate but will also charge at -30 degrees Celsius," explained Rosenberg. "As we learned this past winter, when extreme cold weather hit North America, many people were left stranded with dead EVs. Our battery would have allowed these EVs to continue to operate and charge, instilling confidence in drivers to rely on their EVs even in extreme temperatures."

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One of the advanced lithium-ion technology leaders, Prieto Battery, revealed a 3D prototype of their patented interdigitated battery. The new design promises a 3-minute hyper-fast charge. EV owners will experience a 50 percent charge within the first 90 seconds of charging, thanks to the battery's 3D-printed design. The battery is also operational in extreme temperatures and is nonflammable.

"Prieto's battery will charge faster than you can fill your car's gas tank," said Mike Rosenberg, Prieto CEO. "When you charge your car faster than gassing up, the range is no longer a hindrance, and everyone becomes a potential EV buyer." "A three-minute charge fundamentally changes how companies can design their products and how consumers use them," added Rosenberg.

In today's batteries, energy must always be sacrificed between energy storage and fast charging because of the decades-old 2D architecture. It is impossible to charge a 2D battery in a single direction. Lithium ions must flow from one surface to another, resulting in serious limitations. The thicker 2D battery holds more energy but charges slowly due to its long ion pathways. Charging thinner 2D batteries faster is possible, but they cannot store as much power as thicker batteries.

"Prieto's battery operates safely and will not catch fire like traditional lithium-ion batteries," Rosenberg said. "The 3D architecture and the materials we use ensure that our batteries will not experience thermal runaways or fires, which gives consumers peace of mind."

"Our founder, Dr. Amy Prieto, reimagined the entire architecture of a conventional battery and developed the first 3D interdigitated battery," said Rosenberg. "We're introducing a better architecture and a better process, which results in a better battery and a superior consumer experience. This is truly the next evolution that will redefine the way we power our lives."

"We've dramatically shortened the diffusion length in any direction, which takes charging to hyper-speed and delivers more power and energy storage than 2D batteries," said Dr. Prieto, founder and chief technology officer of Prieto. "The core of our battery looks like a thin copper sponge, and the ions only have to travel from one strand to the next, a fraction of the distance in traditional 2D batteries."

With Primeto's battery, users will get five times more power and three times more energy than conventional 2D batteries (20C discharge rate). Aside from electric vehicles and power tools, it can also be used for medical devices, mobile phones, and small home appliances since it is customizable to any size or application.

Due to its low-cost, sustainable materials and simple, scalable manufacturing process, Prieto's new battery has a unique manufacturing advantage. Water-based electroplating is Prieto's proven method of electroplating at room temperature, without needing dry rooms, clean rooms, or other expensive equipment.

"From day one, I prioritized manufacturing ahead of the battery design, and I knew to reimagine the battery, we would first have to simplify production to scale up quickly, efficiently, and affordably," said Dr. Prieto.

"We now turn our focus to commercialization as we finalize plans to build our pilot manufacturing facility," said Rosenberg. "Our high yield rates, combined with our simple and familiar manufacturing process used in many other industries, will ultimately result in much lower costs than traditional lithium-ion batteries and gives us a great degree of confidence."

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