New EV Battery Promises Full Charge in Just 18 Seconds

In a world where most electric vehicle (EV) owners wait seven to eight hours for a full battery charge, one British engineering firm is aiming to rewrite the rulebook—in just 18 seconds.

The VarEVolt, developed by the RML Group, is making waves in the automotive world for its promise of ultra-fast charging and record-breaking power density. According to Interesting Engineering, this next-generation battery can unleash enough energy to launch a high-performance hybrid hypercar from 0 to 100 km/h in seconds—and be ready to do it again almost immediately.

The RML Group VarEVolt battery pack currently powers electric hypercars. (Image credit: RML Group)

This kind of power and recharge speed isn’t aimed at everyday sedans—at least not yet. The VarEVolt battery is designed for high-end hypercars, a small but influential segment where cutting-edge technology often appears first. RML’s battery could dramatically enhance the performance of elite models like the McLaren P1 or LaFerrari, especially as a retrofit for existing vehicles.

For comparison, the Porsche Taycan, one of today’s fastest-charging EVs, can charge to 80% in about 18 minutes—a massive leap from traditional EV times, but still 60 times slower than RML’s claimed recharge rate.

So what’s the secret?

RML hasn’t released full technical specifications, but the company says the VarEVolt’s revolutionary design allows for an instantaneous power dump, enabling the rapid charging and discharging that defines top-tier performance. It also boasts the highest energy density in the industry to date, which allows it to store and release energy more efficiently than any battery currently in use.

While the technology is still in early stages, the company plans to eventually license or sell the batteries directly to carmakers and offer after-market upgrades for owners of legacy hypercars. The implications for the broader EV market are significant: even if it takes years to trickle down, a functional 18-second battery charge could one day reshape everything from long-haul trucking to your morning commute.

That said, mass production is still a way off, and the technology is likely to remain a feature of the most elite vehicles for now. But as EV makers race to shrink charging times, RML’s VarEVolt sets a new—and startlingly fast—benchmark.