In the racing game, shedding weight is key towards going faster. A new technology has been developed that essentially turns carbon fiber and glass reinforced plastics into a power source — that means turning the car’s frame into a battery instead of relying on hefty batteries.
British defense firm BAE Systems is working on the technology that essentially creates “structural batteries.” According to a press release, the process “merges battery chemistries into composite materials that can be molded into complex 3D shapes and so form the structure of the device itself.”
The company is testing the technology in the Lola-Drayson B12/69EV Le Mans car. The Le Mans is a grueling 24-hour endurance race that pushes even the traditional race cars to the edge, but the research team is focused on the end goal of the Lola-Drayson clocking in as the world’s fastest electric race vehicle.
via DVICE
February 15, 2012
