GMG's Graphene Aluminium-Ion Battery Technology Achieves 6-Minute Full Charge Milestone

Brisbane, Australia — Graphene Manufacturing Group Ltd. (TSXV: GMG) (OTCQX: GMGMF) has announced a significant breakthrough in its battery development journey, bringing its next-generation Graphene Aluminium-Ion Battery (G+AI) technology to a pivotal stage. Developed collaboratively with the University of Queensland under a Joint Development Agreement with Rio Tinto and supported by the Battery Innovation Center of Indiana, the GMG battery now demonstrates performance characteristics that rival premium lithium titanate oxide (LTO) batteries — while maintaining a substantially lower production cost.

The Performance Breakthrough: What Makes This Battery Different

The latest GMG G+AI battery prototype has achieved a remarkable charging capability that fundamentally shifts the conversation around energy storage. The battery delivers a full charge in approximately 6 minutes — a feat currently matched only by specialized high-power LTO cells that command prices up to US$1,500/kWh. Yet GMG’s technology can be manufactured at costs comparable to standard lithium-ion batteries, creating a compelling economics story for manufacturers and fleet operators.

Current testing data, validated by third-party laboratory testing, shows the battery achieves:

• 58 Wh/kg energy density when charged in 1 hour
• 26 Wh/kg energy density when charged in 6 minutes
• 62% capacity recovery in just 3.2 minutes during rapid charging
• Nominal voltage of approximately 3.0 Volts
• Stable performance across hundreds of rapid-charge cycles without significant degradation

These specifications matter because traditional lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt (LNMC) and lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries simply cannot tolerate continuous 10C charging rates (the 6-minute charging speed). Standard commercial lithium cells are designed for 1-hour charging at best, with many requiring 2 hours or longer.

Technical Innovation: New Materials, New Chemistry

The breakthrough rests on three core technical innovations. GMG has developed a proprietary hybrid electrolyte that breaks from conventional aluminum battery chemistry — it is chloride-free and non-corrosive, addressing a long-standing challenge that has limited aluminum battery development.

The cathode and anode architecture represents entirely new engineering. Both utilize aluminum foil substrates rather than copper, delivering significant weight and cost advantages while enabling the stable fast-charging performance observed in testing. The GMG battery contains no lithium and no copper in its core architecture, reducing reliance on critical minerals and mining-intensive materials.

Together, these innovations create what GMG describes as a “next-generation fast charging battery technology currently not available in the world.”

Market Context: The LTO Battery Comparison

To understand the significance of GMG’s achievement, the LTO battery market provides essential context. LTO batteries currently command a US$5.6 billion global market as of 2025, with growth projected at 10% annually, reaching approximately US$9.0 billion by 2030. Major manufacturers include Toshiba, Gree, Microvast, and CATL.

LTO’s premium valuation reflects genuine technical capabilities: 80% charge in 6 minutes, energy density of 50-80 Wh/kg, exceptional cycle life (70% performance retained over 20,000 cycles), and uncompromised safety in demanding applications. The high cost has limited LTO adoption to applications where rapid charging or extreme reliability justify the expense.

GMG’s battery already demonstrates comparable rapid-charging performance while promising a substantially lower cost structure. Management projects that with further development, the battery can eventually reach over 150 Wh/kg at 1-hour charging and exceed 75 Wh/kg at 6-minute charging rates.

Where This Technology Creates Market Opportunities

The applications driving LTO demand today represent the immediate target markets for GMG batteries. In commercial vehicle fleets — particularly electric buses, refuse collection vehicles, and drayage operations — rapid charging dramatically reduces fleet size requirements. Transit authorities can achieve route frequency targets with fewer vehicles when battery systems accept repeated high-power opportunity charges during short layovers.

Government support accelerates this trend. U.S. Low-No Emission Bus grant programs allocate over US$1.5 billion annually with explicit requirements for rapid-charge capability. Chinese subsidy programs reimburse up to CNY 80,000 (approximately US$11,396) per new-energy bus, driving accelerated deployment across provincial cities.

Beyond transit, GMG batteries address multiple vertical sectors: stationary grid storage systems performing frequency regulation and peak shaving, industrial robotics using continuous-duty forklifts, aerospace and defense applications operating from -40°C to +60°C, and emerging battery-swap stations that require ultra-fast turnaround cycles. CATL has confirmed plans to install 1,000 swap stations in 2025 and 30,000-40,000 stations by 2030, each requiring battery packs that tolerate thousands of rapid exchanges.

Additional applications include hybrid and battery electric vehicles leveraging regenerative braking benefits, 5-minute battery-swap platforms for ride-hailing fleets, cordless construction tools, autonomous ground vehicles, medical equipment, and even 12V starter-battery replacements for lead-acid systems.

Technology Readiness and Development Timeline

The GMG G+AI battery currently operates at Battery Technology Readiness Level 4, meaning the technology is moving from fundamental laboratory demonstration toward prototype development. Through collaboration with the Battery Innovation Center, GMG expects progression to BTRL levels 7 and 8, as the manufacturing equipment and processes required for G+AI batteries align with established lithium-ion production infrastructure.

The company has published a development roadmap targeting customer testing beginning in 2026, followed by small commercial production in 2027 with support from various partners including the Battery Innovation Center.

Why the Chemistry Matters: Safety and Systems Integration

One often-overlooked advantage of GMG’s technology stems from its thermal characteristics. The battery is designed to operate safely without lithium — eliminating thermal runaway risk that defines lithium-ion safety protocols. GMG believes the battery likely will not require dedicated thermal management systems, unlike virtually every lithium-ion battery pack currently manufactured.

This changes the physics of battery pack design. GMG plans to utilize plastic battery pack enclosures rather than metal cases, reducing weight, cost, and manufacturing complexity while actually increasing the comparative energy density of the complete battery pack. Metal cases in lithium-ion batteries exist primarily for thermal management and fireproofing — functions potentially unnecessary for GMG’s chemistry.

Industry Recognition and Partnership Momentum

Bob Galyen, formerly the chief technology officer of CATL and now GMG’s Non-Executive Director, commented on the development: “In 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.”

Galyen emphasized that the technology represents a new platform rather than an incremental improvement: “This is not an incremental tweak to existing cells — it is a new platform that can open markets and use cases that were previously uneconomic or impractical.”

Craig Nicol, GMG’s Managing Director and CEO, described the team’s approach: “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.”

Global companies across multiple sectors have confidentially expressed interest in collaboration, according to management disclosures.

The Broader Context: Graphene Manufacturing at Scale

GMG’s core competency rests on proprietary graphene production technology. The company decomposes natural gas into its constituent elements — carbon (graphene), hydrogen, and residual hydrocarbon gases — using an in-house production process. This yields high-quality, scalable, low-contamination graphene suitable for multiple applications.

Beyond batteries, GMG has commercialized graphene-enhanced heating, ventilation, and air conditioning coatings now being adapted for electronic heat sinks, industrial process equipment, and data center applications. The company also produces graphene lubricant additives focused on fuel efficiency in diesel engine applications.

Looking Forward: Scale and Commercialization

The company believes it can meet its development timeline despite the substantial engineering challenges ahead. Further optimization of the cathode, anode, and electrolyte composition — along with component weight reduction — represents the pathway to achieving management’s performance targets.

Industry observers note that successful commercialization would address a genuine market gap. The premium LTO battery market generates significant revenue but remains limited by cost constraints. A lower-cost alternative delivering equivalent rapid-charging performance could capture substantial market share across commercial vehicles, grid storage, and specialty applications currently uneconomic with LTO batteries.

The next critical milestones arrive in 2026 with customer testing and validation, followed by early commercial production beginning in 2027.