Electric Cars – Body could be battery
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One of the biggest challenges plaguing electric car design is the size and heft of a traditional battery. The unwieldy weight of giant electricity storage units has bogged down production on green cars since their invention.
Volvo, along with eight other research participants, may have the solution. The car manufacturer is currently testing a vision where the car’s entire body, including doors, roof and bonnet, serve as the vehicle’s battery. The body would store braking energy while you drive, and electrical energy when you plug in the car overnight.
Launched by Imperial College in London, supported financially by the European Union and worked on by nine companies and institutes, it’s a massive step in the development of electric cars.
The design uses a a composite blend of carbon fibres and polymer resin. It’s flexible yet durable, meaning it can be shaped for use in any of the car’s major panels. Early calculations show that the materials can store more energy, and charge faster, than conventional batteries. Plus, it would cut down the car’s weight, reducing the heft of the steel panels by as much as 15 percent.
Thanks to WIRED
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The latest in electric cars and especially battery technology is so exciting! This is the future, Holte. Nice one!
If you saw the latest Volvo safety videos you’d be less certain about anything they do mate.
They claim to have installed a ‘failsafe’ to avoid hitting pedestrians. At the test the ‘test crash dummy’ ended up in four pieces.
“Oh dear” said Volvo…”we’re sure it’ll work with real people”
I kid you not.
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Michael Scott, Holte Ender. Holte Ender said: RT @madmike1 Electric Cars – Body could be battery http://bit.ly/chFwiq […]
Just wait! Oil companies will buy the technology and bury it.
Funny I was just thinking about that very concept last night. I need to get a life.