Chalmers University develops 'massless' storage
By Jim Gibbins - 25th March 2021
Sweden - Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology (CUT) in Gothenburg have produced a structural battery claimed to perform ten times better than all previous versions. It contains carbon fibre which serves simultaneously as an electrode, conductor, and load-bearing material. The university believes its latest research breakthrough paves the way for essentially ’massless’ energy storage in vehicles and other technology.
Batteries in today’s EVs constitute a large part of the weight, without fulfilling any load-bearing function. A structural battery differs as it works as both a power source and as part of the structure, which could be used in a vehicle body, for example. This is termed ‘massless’ energy storage because, the battery’s weight vanishes when it becomes part of the load-bearing structure. Calculations show this type of multi-functional battery could greatly reduce the weight of an electric vehicle.
