Despite the seemingly endless stream of news decrying the reversal of progress in electric vehicles, work continues to improve hybrids and electric vehicles. Automakers and independent companies are constantly exploring new ways to improve battery storage and efficiency. One possible method to make hybrids better is to use supercapacitors.
Yes, I also wish I had typed “flux capacitor” instead of “supercapacitor,” but the real-life technology is also intriguing. A supercapacitor stores and releases electrical energy, and can do so much faster than a battery. British company Allotrope Energy says it has developed a new class of supercapacitors that have greater energy density than current battery solutions.
In a hybrid vehicle, a supercapacitor could deliver larger amounts of power more quickly compared to the standard battery packs currently in use. These supercapacitors can also recover energy faster. Even better is the fact that these units are half the weight and size of today’s supercapacitors. The technical breakthrough and packaging arise from the use of a product called Lignavolt.
Lignavolt is a sustainably produced nanoporous carbon material. There are no rare earth elements at play here. Allotrope derives Lignavolt from lignin, a by-product of paper production. The Lignavolt-backed supercapacitor can harvest all available energy in just six seconds of braking. According to Allotrope, a lithium-ion battery pack capable of this feat would be the size and weight of a filing cabinet and cost nearly $2,000.
Meanwhile, the supercapacitor would weigh 4.0 kilograms (about 8.8 pounds), be the size of a shoebox, and cost about $100. In addition, temperature does not affect the supercapacitor, as with a lithium-ion package. This means that there is 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 lifespan.
This all sounds great, right? The disadvantage of a supercapacitor is that it collects or releases its charges so quickly that it makes no sense for use in a pure EV. Instead, the supercapacitor would supply large amounts of power to a vehicle with a hybrid powertrain. Allotrope says an eight-pound Lignavolt supercapacitor could double the output of an average family SUV.
Awesome Scott, that’s a lot of power!
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