UltraBattery - The hybrid battery for hybrid vehicles

The UltraBattery combines a supercapacitor and a lead acid battery in a single unit, creating a hybrid car battery that lasts longer, costs less and is more powerful than current technologies used in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs).

David Lamb, who leads low emissions transport research with the Energy Transformed National Research Flagship at the CSIRO had the following to say:

Previous tests show the UltraBattery has a life cycle that is at least four times longer and produces 50 percent more power than conventional battery systems. It's also about 70 percent cheaper than the batteries currently used in HEVs.

The UltraBattery also has the ability to provide and absorb charge rapidly during vehicle acceleration and braking, making it particularly suitable for HEVs, which rely on the electric motor to meet peak power needs during acceleration and recapture energy normally wasted through braking to recharge the battery.

Over the past 12 months, a team of drivers has put the UltraBattery to the test at the Millbrook Proving Ground in the United Kingdom, one of Europe's leading locations for the development and demonstration of land vehicles.

Passing the 100,000 miles mark is strong evidence of the UltraBattery's capabilities. CSIRO's ongoing research will further improve the technology's capabilities, making it lighter, more efficient and capable of setting new performance standards for HEVs.

The UltraBattery test program for HEV applications is the result of an international collaboration. The battery system was developed by CSIRO in Australia, built by the Furukawa Battery Company of Japan and tested in the United Kingdom through the American-based Advanced Lead-Acid Battery Consortium.

Source: CSIRO via ScienceAlert