New battery tech could charge up your mobile phones in just 30 seconds, company claims

An Israeli company says it has developed technology that can charge a mobile phone in a few seconds and an electric car in minutes, advances that could transform two of the world's most dynamic consumer industries.

The battery uses nano-technology to synthesize artificial molecules, which allows the new battery to store a higher charge in less time than existing technology, and can be likened to a super-dense power sponge.

While the prototype is currently far too bulky for a mobile phone, the company believes it will be ready by 2016 to market a slim battery that can absorb and deliver a day's power for a smartphone in just 30 seconds.

"These are new materials, they have never been developed before," said Doron Myersdorf, the founder and chief executive of StoreDot, whose investors include Russian billionaire and Chelsea soccer club owner Roman Abramovich.

This year the number of smartphone users is expected to reach 1.75 billion, a big market for StoreDot. Experts predict that the company could be onto a winner if it continues to develop its product.

“We live in a power hungry world … people are constantly chasing a power outlet. StoreDot has the potential to solve this real big problem,” said Zack Weisfeld, an analyst in the mobile phone sector.

“They still have some way to go, to deal with size of battery and power cycle rounds, but if solvable, it’s a very big breakthrough,” he said. The power cycle of a battery is the number of times it can be recharged over the course of its lifetime.