The company is already the world’s largest battery maker, supplying cells to major automakers. With this latest development, the battery giant is positioning itself at the center of the race to deliver gasoline-like convenience without sacrificing durability.

The core challenge engineers set out to address was whether an EV battery could withstand repeated ultra-fast charging without rapid degradation. A 5C charge rate means an 80-kilowatt-hour battery pack could theoretically accept around 400 kilowatts of power. That level of charging can refill a battery in roughly 12 minutes, similar to a typical gas stop.

Fast charging has long been associated with faster wear. The engineers tested whether the chemistry could handle that stress over time. According to the company, the answer was yes. Under standard conditions at 68°F, the battery retained at least 80 percent of its original capacity after 3,000 full charge-and-discharge cycles.