Graphene Manufacturing Group (GMG) has announced significant progress in its graphene aluminium-ion battery technology, developed in partnership with the University of Queensland and supported by Rio Tinto and the Battery Innovation Center in the US.
The graphene aluminium-ion (G+AI) battery is designed to deliver rapid charging, achieving a full charge in under six minutes. Current testing shows energy densities of 58Wh/kg at a one-hour charge and 26Wh/kg at six minutes, with performance maintained across hundreds of cycles. Unlike conventional lithium-ion cells, GMG’s technology avoids lithium and copper, instead using aluminium foil substrates and a newly developed chloride-free electrolyte. This approach reduces cost, weight, and safety risks, and likely eliminating the need for complex thermal management systems.
Bob Galyen, GMG non-executive director, said, “In my nearly five decades in the battery industry, I have rarely seen a technology with the disruptive potential of GMG’s next-generation graphene aluminium-ion battery. With the possibility of charging from empty to full in around six minutes, this chemistry fundamentally changes how designers can think about electric vehicles, consumer electronics and stationary storage.”
Craig Nicol, GMG CEO, added, “We have rebuilt this battery in our weekly sprints from the ground up and developed completely new complex cathode, anode and electrolyte. This will provide a next generation fast charging battery technology currently not available in the world.”
The battery technology readiness level of the G+AI technology remains at Level 4, and GMG expects to send sample cells to partners in early 2026, with commercial production targeted for 2027. The company says that the G+AI battery has similar performance characteristics as lithium titanate oxide cells, but can be produced at a lower cost.
