Electric Cars Get A Boost, New Membrane To Improve Battery Power

Electric cars are the best solution for current pollution problems. But it comes with its own downside. It can cover only a very limited distance on a single charge. But now, an Indian-origin engineer has developed a thin plastic membrane, that will stop discharging the battery power when not in use and the battery gets charged quickly.

This new technology is still patent pending, which controls the charge flow inside the battery. It can be applied in high powered supercapacitors in electric cars. It also prevents any kind of fire hazards.

Researchers at Ohio University said that this new membrane will enable the development of new kind of battery called as, 'redox transistor batteries', which will charge quickly, and goes a long distance on a single charge.

Currently, the best electric cars have the range of 320kms, on an 8-hour charge. The new technology hopes to improve this numbers. Vishnu-Baba Sundaresan, leader of this study, at Ohio University said "That is still an order of magnitude away from the equivalent measure in gasoline, but its a place to start.

"For everyday commuting, the electrolyte can be simply regenerated by plugging it into a power outlet overnight or while parked at the garage. For long road trips, you could empty out the used electrolyte and refill the battery to get the kind of long driving range we are accustomed to with internal combustion engines."

The researchers believe that, when this membrane is used in a specially designed electronic unit, it will shut down the flow of charge, thus helping in preventing of discharge of the battery, when not in use.