Battery-dependent future cars

The battery on an electric car is extremely heavy. More batteries are needed on the vehicle in order to extend its range. However, added batteries create added weight, which does not extend the range, draining the battery in the same amount of time.

Because of this, Volvo engineers have teemed with scientists at Imperial College in London to try to increase the power of electric cars without increasing the weight. Currently, the group is testing a composite blend of carbon fibers and polymer resin that can store and charge more energy at a faster rate.

If the composite is successful, it could be used to create the body of the electric vehicle. The outer shell of the car would act as the battery. And with the composite not requiring any chemical processes to be produced, that means the entire car acting as the battery would outlast traditional batter cells created from a chemical reaction. Still in its early stages, scientists hope the technology can start by replacing the floor of the car's truck