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A New Battery Solution Is Going to Shake up Electric Mobility
Structural batteries are the next step forward for electric vehicles
The range is the first major obstacle preventing the electric mobility revolution from becoming mainstream. But on the other hand, it is not an easy problem to solve at the engineering level.
It is not simply a matter of designing cars with bigger batteries. Bigger batteries would result in what designers call the “weight spiral:” bigger brakes to compensate for the weight increase, bigger wheels in line with the brakes, and a sturdier structure appropriate for the final weight.
In this regard, leading electric mobility companies are approaching the problem from another angle.
Inspired by the aerospace solution of placing fuel tanks inside wings, companies –such as Tesla, CATL, and BYD– are designing batteries integrated into the car’s structure.
In this way, the battery cells serve as both the power supply and skeleton of the car. That would reduce costs, increase range, and also provide a more spacious interior.
Therefore, this approach reduces weight and wasted volume: the car chassis replaces the conventional protective cell casing, decreasing dead weight.
