A recent development may solve one of the biggest issues of electric vehicles: cold weather battery performance. Should this new technology prove effective, it could be a game-changer for clean-energy cars.
A team at the KERI Energy Conversion Research Center in Korea has long been searching for a way to keep EVs performing optimally throughout the winter. To do this, they've been looking at alternative means of managing internal temperature. Current options are too big, heavy, and energy-intensive to do the job.
The potential breakthrough comes in the form of a metal fiber fabric made of stainless steel micro wires that are extremely thin, according to South Korea's National Research Council of Science and Technology in a post on Tech Xplore. This new technology is incredibly durable and conductive but not nearly as bulky or heavy as other heating elements.Â
The woven pattern of these new heating elements helps distribute heat uniformly, which means greater efficiency and efficacy. Not only that, but the technology offers the same performance even after the inevitable wear and tear of long-term use.
So, why is this a potentially revolutionary breakthrough?
For many EVs, cold weather means more energy consumption and faster-draining batteries. While there are tons of benefits to EVs, they're far more difficult to enjoy in mid-January when their battery power and driving range are diminished.
With this new metal fiber fabric technology, those issues can potentially become non-existent in next-gen EVs.
Regardless of their potential cold weather drawbacks, current EVs are still an amazing option for anyone in the market for a new vehicle. They save tons of time and money on gas and maintenance, they're far quieter, and they can drastically lessen your impact on the environment. They're one of the biggest win-wins for us and the environment currently available.
As for the metal fiber fabric technology, the patent has been applied for and standardization tests have been passed. Leader of the KERI research team, Dr. Lee Dong Yoon, feels strongly about the potential for it to revolutionize EVs and other industries.
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"This is the first time in the world that a fabric-based heating element has been made solely from metal fibers," he said, per the post on Tech Xplore. "And through our achievements, we expect to help companies reduce energy costs and contribute to national carbon neutrality."
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