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New Material Transforms Car Bodies Into Batteries

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the shocking-discoveries dept.

MikeChino writes "As battery manufacturers race to produce more efficient lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, some scientists are looking to make the cars themselves a power source. Researchers are currently developing a new auto body material that can store and release electrical energy like a battery. Once perfected, scientists hope the substance will replace standard car bodies, making vehicles up to 15 percent lighter and significantly extending the range of electric vehicles."

19 of 213 comments (clear)

  1. Good by 2names · · Score: 2, Funny

    I really hope we get this electric car thing figured out soon because I am just about sick of following smoke belching vehicles every day.

    --
    "I'm just here to regulate funkiness."
    1. Re:Good by maxume · · Score: 5, Funny

      You just need to learn how to be a leader.

      --
      Nerd rage is the funniest rage.
    2. Re:Good by TwiztidK · · Score: 1, Funny

      I really hope we get this electric car thing figured out soon because I am just about sick of following smoke belching vehicles every day.

      The electrical components of my gas burning vehicle shorted and caused the rest of the vehicle to be consumed by flames in a very smokey manner, certainly smokier than other car I've observed. As the electric parts of the car were responsible for said fire, it seems resonable that electric cars will burst into flames more often than gas burning cars. Therefore, it can be logically deduced that electric cars will result in much more smoke than the fossil fueled alternatives.

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    3. Re:Good by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      Algae is just under one order of magnitude more land intensive.

      Algae grow in water, you fucking moron.

    4. Re:Good by Smooth+and+Shiny · · Score: 3, Funny

      He can't lead in a Prius. Seriously... it can barely keep up with itself, let alone other traffic.

    5. Re:Good by gyrogeerloose · · Score: 5, Funny

      Cellulosic butanol is way more exciting than cellulosic ethanol.

      Fuckin' A! Whenever anyone even mentions cellulosic butanol I can barely contain my enthusiasm! ;-)

      --
      This ain't rocket surgery.
    6. Re:Good by Fred_A · · Score: 2, Funny

      There is also the issue of having an electrical grid that can handle that. Charging a battery in minutes with enough power to get you hundreds of miles takes a non-trivial amount of power, no matter how good your battery is.

      A simple fix would be to build more roads going downhill instead of blindly following the contour lines.
      It would save a lot of power !

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    7. Re:Good by crispytwo · · Score: 3, Funny

      All we need are two brushes on the bottom, and a slot to put the car in

      voilà, no batteries needed!

      woot!

  2. Can't Wait. by cohensh · · Score: 5, Funny

    I can imagine it would make a multi-car pile up quite exciting. Just another effort to make real life more like a Michael Bay movie.

  3. The new material? DiHydrogen Monoxide by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Step 1: Fill the cars with DiHydrogen Monoxide
    Step 2: Hoist the car several meters in the air
    Step 3: Place a paddlewheel connected to generator underneath
    Step 4: Open the car door
    Step 5: ...
    Step 6: Profit.

  4. Re:The new material? DiHydrogen Monoxide by dfsmith · · Score: 3, Funny

    Are you crazy? Dihydrogen monoxide kills over 4000 people a year in the US alone!

  5. Re:The new material? DiHydrogen Monoxide by nicknamenotavailable · · Score: 3, Funny

    Are you crazy? Dihydrogen monoxide kills over 4000 people a year in the US alone!

    Replace the 'dihydrogen monoxide' with 'hydroxyethane'.
    It might not improve things, but it seems like more fun.

  6. Slashdot does it again! by TimHunter · · Score: 5, Funny

    Once again, in less than 30 minutes the Slashdot crowd finds multiple fatal flaws in the results of years of work by highly-trained educated people. And frequently without even bothering to RTFA! Is there nothing we can't do?

    NOBODY expects the Slashdot Community! The chief weapon of the Slashdot Community is presumption...presumption and arrogance...arrogance and presumption.... Our *two* weapons are presumption and arrogance...and cynicism.... Our *three* weapons are presumption, arrogance, and cynicism...and an overweening sense of entitlement.... Our *four*...no.... *Amongst* our weapons... Amongst our weaponry...are such elements as arrogance, presumption...I'll come in again.

    1. Re:Slashdot does it again! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      This year it's February 14.

      Thank you, thank you.

  7. Re:Problem with that by nacturation · · Score: 2, Funny

    Car batteries want to be 200 to 300 volts.

    Car batteries don't like being anthropomorphized.

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  8. Re:The new material? DiHydrogen Monoxide by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Furthermore, DiHydrogen Monoxide is used by the Oil Companies, the Coal Companies, and the Tobacco Companies. And Big Pharma!

  9. Re:The new material? DiHydrogen Monoxide by Hognoxious · · Score: 4, Funny

    Dihydrogen monoxide is a gateway drug. Most adults who are addicted to hydroxethane drank DHMO when they were children.

    --
    Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  10. Bonus by HangingChad · · Score: 4, Funny

    Researchers are currently developing a new auto body material that can store and release electrical energy like a battery.

    And it would make the neighbor's dog peeing on my car a pay-per-view moment.

    --
    That's our life, the big wheel of shit. - The Fat Man, Blue Tango Salvage
  11. Megatron is pleased! by jameskojiro · · Score: 2, Funny

    As they can round up the autobots (especially that prick bumblebee) and convert them directly into energon cubes!!!!!

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