That's not a typo. It's all thanks to the laws of quantum physics.
Scientists in South Korea have proven that a new technology will cut the time it takes to charge electric cars to just nine seconds, allowing EV owners to ‘fill up’ faster than their gasoline counterparts. And even those plugging-in at home will have the time slashed from 10 hours to just three minutes.
The new device uses the laws of quantum physics to power all of a battery’s cells at once -instead of one at a time - so recharging takes no longer than filling up at the pump.
With millions of EVs now being sold every year, one of the key hurdles to getting wider adoption is how long they take to recharge. Today, even the fastest superchargers need around 20 to 40 minutes to power a car. Assuming, of course, you can find one and that there isn't a queue.
Scientists at the Institute for Basic Science in South Korea have come up with a solution and the consequences could be far-reaching.
Co-author Dr Dominik Šafránek said, “Of course, quantum technologies are still in their infancy and there is a long way to go before these methods can be implemented in practice. Research findings such as these, however, create a promising direction and can incentivize the funding agencies and businesses to further invest in these technologies."
“If employed, it is believed that quantum batteries would completely revolutionize the way we use energy and take us a step closer to our sustainable future.”