Last year, UK-based startup Nyobolt made a very bold claim. The company released renderings of a small electric sports car that could recharge in about six minutes. We raised an eyebrow when we learned former Jaguar designer Ian Callum's company was involved in the process, but we were understandably skeptical. Now, we're less skeptical. This thing is real—as a prototype, anyway.
Simply called the Nyobolt EV Prototype, it weighs 2,750 pounds and has a WLTP range of 155 miles. That's not exactly long-range material, but the company has already achieved a charging time from 10 to 80 percent in 4 minutes, 37 seconds. That adds 120 miles of range, and according to Nyobolt, it's double the fastest charging speeds currently available in production vehicles.
“Our extensive research here in the UK and US has unlocked a novel battery technology that is ready and scalable right now,” said Dr. Sai Shivareddy, Nyobolt co-founder. “We are enabling the electrification of new products and services currently considered inviable or impossible. Creating real-world demonstrators, such as the Nyobolt EV, underlines both our readiness and commitment to making the industries see change is possible.”
The battery is a 50 Amp-hour, 35 Kilowatt-hour pack. That's rather small in the EV world but Nyobolt's design is both fast-charging and extremely resistant to degradation. The company has performed over 4,000 full depth of discharge fast-charge cycles, equalling roughly 600,000 miles of real-world use. At the end of it all, the battery pack still had over 80 percent of its capacity. In other words, a big, heavy battery isn't needed when you can recharge a smaller one in just a few minutes without penalty.
That contributes to the prototype's weight, though it's not the lightest electric sports car we've seen. Last year, Caterham unveiled the Project V, a 2,623-lb three-seater prototype sports car with 268 hp and a 55 kWh battery. Production is planned for late 2025 or 2026, so stats could change from the prototype to the final model. But Caterham and Nyobol show the world that fun electric cars don't have to be exceedingly heavy. Are you listening, BMW?
Nyobolt doesn't mention horsepower for its prototype. For that matter, it's unclear if there are even plans for production. The company is using it as a demonstrator, wooing automakers with impressive battery tech and on that front, Nyobolt says several OEMs are already interested. While technically in the prototype phase, low-volume production of the battery packs for road or track use could begin within a year.
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