Swedish researchers propose a lightweight EV battery design

A team of scientists from the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have devised an ingenious approach to battery weight reduction.

The idea is to use carbon fiber extensively both in the housing of the individual power cells and in the inner structure of the cell. A special new grade of carbon fiber can apparently be substituted for the cobalt, magnesium and copper in certain battery designs, leaving only one metal in place – lithium. Such a design could make laptops twice as light and increase EV range up to 70%.

Note that at this point, the research team still doesn’t even have a functioning prototype of the technology, so it’s going to be a while until it finds industrial use (if at all).