Supercapacitors will replace batteries in electric vehicles, allowing them to be charged in a matter of seconds, according to a research group working with the University of Surrey and University of Bristol.
The group claims to have reached a breakthrough in its research into EV batteries and says supercapacitors are proven to be between 1000 and 10,000 times more powerful than equivalent batteries.
Read about the Tesla Model S P100D here
This breakthrough could finally allow battery-electric vehicles to have ranges as long as those of fossil-fuelled cars, along with similar refuelling times. The group also described supercapacitors as being more efficient and greener, suggesting that they may waste less energy and have a smaller environmental impact than regular electric vehicle powertrains.
The research into new materials was the cause of the breakthrough, and despite a lower current projected energy density than the traditional lithium-ion batteries used in EVs - meaning a lower storage capacity per kilogram, until the energy density of the tech increases - the considerably quicker charge time of the research group's supercapacitor system means that "A lot of people would be more happy with a half the range of a 300-mile, lithium ion-batteried EV, but a fast charging time", said chief executive of Augmented Optics Ltd and Supercapacitor Materials Ltd, Jim Heathcote.
These conclusions were made by the two universities in co-operation with Augmented Optics, a company that owns Supercapacitor Materials Ltd, with the group adding that supercapacitors will “revolutionise the capabilities of appliances that have previously relied on battery power to work". Laptops, mobile phones and tablet computers are all targeted by the group as areas for potential change.
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275not599
When I have an autonomous
LP in Brighton
Ultra-capacity supercapacitor?
TStag
How quickly will JLR be on
winniethewoo
Is this that graphene thing
The Apprentice
High density capacitors have
voyager12
May I be permitted to say "Wow"?
Campervan
COULD
The only word of any importance in the preceding sentence is "could".
There could be fairies at the bottom of my garden and there could be a man in a red suit and beard coming down my chimney within three weeks, aliens could abduct me at any time and Autocar could concentrate its efforts on things that are happening not speculation , but also pigs could fly.
manicm
Yet another red herring...
Until then it's little more than sensationalism.
reckless fox
It's charging rate not capacity!!
Let's take a hypothetical 200kwH supercapicitor- double the power storage of a Tesla P100D. At 50A it will take 4 hrs to charge. To charge fully in 5 mins (not seconds) will require either massive amperage way beyond anything in the current residential or even light industrial infrastructure, or much higher voltages or both.
The advantage of petrol is its high energy density per litre and the ease at which tens of litres can be transferred.
Walking
reckless fox wrote:
It's doesn't look that easy to me when you look at it from well to tank. It looks simple because of the centuries of infrastructure investment. Simple to me is drive home plug in charge repeat. Even simpler "Echo Uber car work 5 minutes".
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