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Developers of a new battery material claim that it could boost an electric car’s range by up to 70 per cent. Scientists at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden have developed what they call a structural battery. This breakthrough material not only stores energy but can also bear loads, essentially doubling as a part of the vehicle's structure.
If this could work in a production model vehicle, it can be a game-changer. In most electric vehicles (EV), the battery accounts for about a quarter of the total weight. By integrating the battery into the vehicle’s structure, manufacturers could drastically reduce the car’s overall weight by reducing the size of the primary battery. Less weight means better efficiency, which translates to longer driving range on a single charge.
The new material is made of a carbon fiber composite with tensile strength similar to that of aluminum and offers an energy density of 30 Watt-hour per kilogramme (Wh / kg). (A battery’s energy density in an EV defines its range performance or how far the EV will run on a single charge.)
While that might not sound like much compared to traditional lithium-ion batteries — nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) batteries offer 150-250 Wh / kg and lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries offer 90-160 Wh / kg — this material’s ability to replace heavy structural components more than makes up for it.
For comparison, NMC or LFP cathodes paired with graphite anodes — two common lithium-ion battery compositions — are designed primarily for energy storage, not structural use. That means they need additional materials like casings and management systems, which add even more weight.
EV batteries are made up of numerous cells connected into a pack, which powers the motor and other electronics. These cells contain positive and negative electrodes, an electrolyte and a protective casing.
On average, about 60–75 per cent of a battery’s weight comes from the cells themselves, with the rest from the casing, cables and thermal or battery management systems.
This new structural battery could also revolutionise smaller devices. A laptop, for instance, can be half its current weight or a smartphone as slim as a credit card. The possibilities are endless.
While structural batteries could save up to 20 per cent in weight just by replacing sections such as car frame, researchers believe this technology still has a long way to go. But with innovations like these, the future of EVs and portable electronics looks lighter — and a lot more efficient.