Technology is always advancing, but one of the hurdles that hybrid and electric car technology faces is creating a longer-lasting, quickly charging battery — without sacrificing range. A new development from researchers at UCLA’s California NanoSystems Institute might have the answer.
According to Gizmag.com, scientists have created a battery that combines both the energy of a lead-acid battery (think of the traditional battery in a car) and the quick charge and discharge rates of a supercapacitor.
Batteries in hybrid cars paved the way for electric cars, but the hybrid supercapacitor could mark a huge development in making them more accessible and better-performing.
Professor Richard Kaner and Dr. Maher El-Kady of the Institute say that their new battery can quickly charge and discharge and can last for 10,000 charge cycles. Additionally, the battery can hold up to six times the energy that a traditional super capacitor can hold.
According to Green Car Reports, this could offer more energy and quicker charging for batteries in electric cars without having an effect on the range.
Basically, the amount of energy that can be stored in a battery depends on the amount of contact area between the electrodes and the electrolyte. The scientists increased the amount of the contact area, which — of course — increases the amount of energy the battery is able to store.
Unfortunately, the application of this type of battery in cars is purely hypothetical for now. Though the battery does answer all of the issues that fully electric cars face, it could be years before those problems are corrected.