Researchers create ultra-fast charging Li-ion batteries

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have designed a new type of Lithium-ion rechargeable battery that can be charged many times faster than the current conventional Lithium-ion batteries used in devices like cell phones and laptop computers. The increase in charging efficiency is gained by providing the ions that move during the charging process with guides that direct them more efficiently into the battery.

Samples of the new batteries have been able to fully charge roughly 18 times faster than conventional batteries. In one particular example, the modified battery received a full charge in 20 seconds, which compares quite favorably to the 6 minutes required for a non-enhanced version of the battery.

The researchers have said that the new batteries could be available on the market in two to three years. You can read more about the technology at the BBC website.