Despite the never-ending stream of news denouncing declining progress in electric vehicles, work continues to improve hybrids and electric vehicles. Automakers and independent companies are always looking for new ways to improve battery storage and efficiency. One potential way to improve hybrids involves the use of supercapacitors.
Yes, I also wish I wrote “flux capacitor” instead of “ultracapacitor,” but the real-world technology is also interesting. A supercapacitor stores and releases electrical energy, and can do so much more quickly than a battery. British company Allotrope Energy says it has developed a new class of ultracapacitors, which have greater energy density levels compared to current battery solutions.
in Hybrid vehiclethe supercapacitor can deliver larger amounts of energy more quickly, compared to standard battery packs currently used. These supercapacitors are also able to recover energy more quickly as well. Even better is the fact that these units are half the weight and size of today’s supercapacitors. The technical and packaging breakthrough arises through the use of a product called Lignavolt.
Lignavolt is a nanoporous carbon material that is sustainably produced. There are no rare earth elements at play here. Lignavolt is derived from lignin, a by-product of paper production. The supercapacitor with Lignavolt technology can harvest all available energy within just six seconds of braking. According to Allotrop, Lithium-ion battery pack The size and weight of a filing cabinet would be able to accomplish this feat and would cost approximately two grand.
Meanwhile, the supercapacitor will weigh 4.0 kg (about 8.8 lbs), will be the size of a shoebox, and will cost about $100. Additionally, temperature does not affect the supercapacitor as it does with a lithium-ion pack. This means less need for complex heating and cooling systems. The supercapacitor also doesn’t degrade like a typical battery pack, so performance should remain the same throughout its life.
This all sounds great, doesn’t it? The downside of a supercapacitor is that it collects or releases its charges so quickly that it doesn’t make sense to use them in a pure electric car. Instead, the supercapacitor will supply large amounts of energy to a vehicle with a hybrid powertrain. Allotrope says its eight-pound Lignavolt supercapacitor could double the output of a midsize family SUV.
Great Scott, that’s a lot of power!
