Video: Volvo helping to develop new material that could be both battery and bodywork

How much will a plug-in vehicle's battery weigh in 2020? How much will the same car's bodywork weigh? If a new prototype material developed by researchers in the Imperial College London in the UK turns out to be as good as it sounds, the answer to both of these questions, whatever the value is, might one day be the same.

The reason for this is that the material is a new type of battery that could be strong and light enough to pull double duty as body components and can store and discharge electrical energy. It is being developed for use in cars, where it could bring about a weight reduction of about 15 percent, as well as for other things like cell phones and computers. There is a video of project coordinator Emile Greenhalgh, from the Department of Aeronautics at Imperial College London, describing the material after the jump.

Sure, any vehicle powered by this material is a long way away, but it's always fun to imagine what's possible some day in the future. Considering that the Volvo Car Corporation is partnering with the Imperial College on this project, we can imagine that the 2020 S80 DRIVe might be made out of this stuff, right? Thanks to Jon for the tip!

[Source: PhysOrg]

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