Researchers at the University of Bath are helping to develop new rechargeable batteries that could improve hybrid electric cars in the future.
Transport is a major energy user and is estimated to be responsible for around 25% of the UK’s total carbon emissions
The university aim to produce a new generation of battery that is lighter, safer and more efficient at storing energy.
Conventional metal-hydride batteries already in use in hybrid and electric cars are heavy and provide limited power.
Professor Saiful Islam, of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Bath, is researching new materials to use in rechargeable lithium batteries, similar to those used in mobile phones, laptops and MP3 players.
“Hybrid electric cars such as the Toyota Prius rely on petrol engines, with their batteries being charged by the waste energy from braking. These cars provide better fuel economy for urban driving than a conventional car,” explained Professor Islam.
“Developing new materials holds the key to lighter and more efficient rechargeable batteries for hybrid electric cars, reducing our use of fossil fuels and cutting carbon emissions.”
Professor Islam’s research, which recently won the Fuel Cell Science & Technology Award from the Royal Society of Chemistry, will be presented at the Sustainable Energy & the Environment research showcase on Wednesday 17 September at the University of Bath.
The exhibition coincides with the launch of the new Institute for Sustainable Energy & the Environment (I-SEE) at the University of Bath. This will bring together experts from diverse fields of science, engineering, social policy and economics to tackle the problems posed by climate change.
