One of the technical problems holding back the replacement of gasoline-powered cars with internal combustion engines by battery-run electric cars is the complex issue of charging.
Drivers of regular, gasoline-powered cars are accustomed to refueling in a matter of minutes and then driving hundreds of kilometers without stopping for a refill. In the case of most electric vehicles, however, you need to charge the vehicle overnight and can then drive for just a couple of hours.
While this might be sufficient for commuters traveling short distances daily, it is unsustainable for the heavy mileage racked up by taxis and commercial vehicles.
Ill-fated Better Place’s battery-swapping stations attempted to provide the answer, but the under-capitalized Israeli company filed for bankruptcy in 2013.
Another technical solution available on the market – fast charging – requires powerful chargers which can be prohibitively energy-guzzling for existing electricity distribution infrastructure, and prevent installation in convenient inner-city locations needed by customers.
Lod-based Chakratec, however, has developed a local storage solution for electric vehicle charging based on kinetic storage technology, enabling the installation of fast chargers in the distribution grid, and offering charging availability whenever and wherever needed.
Analogous to a toilet flush tank but for electricity, Chakratec’s patented kinetic energy storage technology enables unlimited high power charge and discharge cycles, costing one-tenth of charging traditional lithium-ion batteries and providing an unrivaled lifespan of 20 years without depletion.
“We have developed a storage device which is based on kinetic storage, and its main advantage is that it has an unlimited amount of cycles,” Chakratec CEO and co-founder Ilan Ben David told The Jerusalem Post.