The Navigant Research blog (Hidden Batteries Show EV Promise) was a really interesting read. Here’s just a slice of it (bolding by EleBlog) –
Many automakers have invested in battery companies to develop batteries that are more energy-dense per kilogram (kWh/kg). Others, like BMW, have pursued vehicle lightweighting by using expensive, low-weight materials like carbon fiber for various vehicle parts (such as body panels).
The decreased weight of the overall vehicle allows the battery pack to be larger, thus increasing the range. The cutting-edge technological development lies at the intersection of these two strategies – using structural vehicle body parts for energy storage.
Swedish automaker Volvo revealed such a strategy in mid-October. The company replaced what is typically a steel trunk lid and crossmember over the engine bay of a Volvo S80 with parts made from nanobattery- and supercapacitor-infused carbon fiber. Both parts are lighter in weight and torsionally stronger than their steel counterparts. They’re also, of course, significantly more expensive.
Factoring in reductions to standalone battery costs could prove this technology’s business case in the future, especially as carbon fiber becomes more commonplace in vehicles.
The concept is not all that different from building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), which utilizes PV materials and panels in building structures rather than on top of building structures.
Source: http://electricalcontractor.com/?p=12052
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