Body power
Electric cars are a nice idea, but there’s one big snag: the batteries. They are big and heavy and can represent a third of a vehicle’s total weight
Electric cars are a nice idea, but there's one big snag: the batteries. They are big and heavy and can represent a third of a vehicle's total weight
Battery technology is improving, offering the promise of more compact units that hold their charge longer. But researchers at Imperial College London are taking a left-field approach to the problem. Instead of working on a better power unit, they are looking at ways of turning the car’s bodywork into a battery.
Working with partners that include Volvo Car Corporation, the Imperial researchers are developing a prototype material made of carbon fibres and a polymer resin that can store and discharge electrical energy, but which is also strong and lightweight enough to be used for car parts. Their aim is to create a material that can be used in hybrid petrol/electric vehicles, making them lighter, more compact and more energy efficient.
They’ve just secured funding for a project that will use the material to replace the metal flooring in the car boot, where you’d normally store the spare wheel. This would reduce the number of batteries needed to power the electric motor in a Volvo hybrid, reducing its weight by 15 percent and significantly improving its range.
The light weight of the Imperial material isn’t its only benefit. The researchers say it will store and discharge large amounts of energy much more quickly than conventional batteries, is quicker to recharge and has a longer life than a conventional battery.
“We are really excited about the potential of this new technology. We think the car of the future could be drawing power from its roof, its bonnet or even the door, thanks to our new composite material,” says Dr Emile Greenhalgh, from the Department of Aeronautics at Imperial College London, who is coordinating the project. “Even the car’s SatNav could be powered by its own casing.”
Greenhalgh says the researchers are also looking at using their material in the casings of many everyday electrical devices, such as mobile phones and laptop computers, removing the need for a separate battery.
“You might have a mobile phone that is as thin as a credit card, or a laptop that can draw energy from its casing so it can run for a longer time without recharging,” he says. “We’re at the first stage of this project and there is a long way to go, but we think our composite material shows real promise.”
