PREVIEW

British engineering and tech firm Nyobolt’s revolutionary concept sports car has hit the road for the first time marking the moment when it may be as easy to charge an electric car as fill up a tank of petrol. The ultra-fast-charging electric vehicle, whose looks are inspired by the iconic Lotus Elise, has 470bhp. Designed by Julian Thomson, the same visionary behind the original Elise, the new prototype serves as a test bed for Nyobolt’s next-generation battery technology which promises to revolutionise EV range, charge times, and longevity. Initial tests conducted this month with the running prototype have shown impressive results. The car's 35kWh battery can be charged from 10% to 80% using a 350kW charger in just 4 minutes and 37 seconds, twice the speed of most of the fastest-charging vehicles today. Importantly, it also means drivers will be able to charge their car in not much longer than they can fill up a tank. You could plug the car in, grab a sandwich and a bag of crisps, and by the time you’d finish them your car will be fully charged! The battery has successfully undergone 4000 full fast-charge cycles, equating to around 600,000 miles, while retaining over 80% of its capacity. Weighing in at just 1246kg, it is comparable in weight to a Renault Clio, thanks to the compact and efficient battery pack that means it is much lighter than most electric cars. Nyobolt's scalable battery production is poised to begin with low-volume output this year with plans to ramp up to 1000 batteries next year and eventually reach 2 million units annually.