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When a Car’s Battery Becomes the Car’s Body
Volvo Car Corp. and nine partners have developed a plastic that can be used to turn a car's body panels and other components into giant electrical storage batteries.
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Volvo Car Corp. and nine partners have developed a plastic that can be used to turn a car's body panels and other components into giant electrical storage batteries.
The moldable carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer contains nano-structured batteries and super capacitors. Volvo says the material can cut vehicle weight and reduce the need for bulky conventional batteries.
The team developed the material under a 42-month project funded by the European Union. They also used it to make a trunk lid and engine intake plenum cover for a Volvo S80 sedan. The two components weigh half as much as the parts they replace, and the material stores enough electricity to replace the car's standard 12-volt battery.
As with conventional hybrid and electric vehicles, the test car's special panels are charged by plugging into a power source or through a regenerative braking system. The material charges quicker than a conventional battery.
Volvo estimates that replacing an EV's battery with the new material could reduce the vehicle's overall weight by more than 15%.
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