Scientists turn car’s bodywork into battery

Elaine Brass

11th February 2010

Scientists at Imperial College London are developing a prototype composite material that will store and discharge electrical energy, potentially revolutionising car design and manufacture.

The Imperial College scientists claim the composite, which is made of carbon fibres and a polymer resin, will also store and discharge large amounts of energy much more quickly than conventional batteries as it does not use chemical processes.

As well as cars, the material could also be used for many household objects that require separate batteries, such as mobiles and laptops.

The €3.4 million three-year European-funded project aims to develop a composite material that will be sufficiently strong and lightweight for hybrid petrol and electrical vehicles. Hybrid and electric cars currently need a large number of heavy batteries to power their electric motors; the lightweight properties of the material should make the cars more energy efficient, allowing drivers to travel longer distances before recharging, which can be done by plugging the vehicle into a household power supply.

Project co-ordinator, Dr Emile Greenhalgh, from the Department of Aeronautics at Imperial College London, said: “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. Even the Sat Nav could be powered by its own casing.

Electrical charging composite could power mobile phones and laptops too

“The future applications for this material don’t stop there – you might have a mobile phone that is as thin as a credit card because it no longer needs a bulky battery, or a laptop that can draw energy from its casing so it can run for a longer time without recharging. 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.”

Project partner, car manufacturer Volvo, is investigating using the composite material to replace the metal flooring in the car boot, the wheel well, as this could lead to a 15 per cent reduction in the car’s overall weight and significantly improve the range of future hybrid cars.

The researchers are exploring alternatives for charging the composite material, such as recycling energy created when a car brakes. They are also investigating the most effective method for manufacturing the composite material at an industrial level.