Verónica Castro-AllendeA groundbreaking innovation in battery technology known as fundamental batteries is set to revolutionize energy storage across various sectors, from electric vehicles (EVs) to consumer electronics. Developed by a research team at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, these next-generation batteries combine energy storage with structural support, making products like cars, laptops, and mobile devices lighter and more efficient without sacrificing performance.
Fundamental batteries, or structural batteries, function as both a load-bearing structure and a power source, potentially increasing the driving range of EVs by up to 70% and enabling thinner, lighter electronics. This innovative design uses carbon fiber as both the structural material and energy storage, eliminating the need for bulky components like aluminum and copper while avoiding conflict metals such as cobalt.
With applications ranging from aerospace to smartphones, fundamental batteries are poised to lead a transformation in energy storage technology. Despite challenges in commercialization, efforts are underway to bring this technology to market, offering a more sustainable future with lighter, longer-lasting, and energy-efficient products.
As the world moves toward green, energy-efficient solutions, a groundbreaking innovation in battery technology is set to transform everything from electric cars to mobile devices.
Picture a future where vehicles are lighter, laptops are thinner, and mobile phones are as thin as credit cards—without sacrificing performance. This vision is becoming a reality thanks to fundamental batteries, a cutting-edge technology that combines energy storage with structural support.
This development implies a longer range for electric vehicles ( EVs ), longer battery life for consumer electronics, and lower energy consumption across sectors.
This groundbreaking technology is being developed by a research team at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden. But what does a fundamental battery actually mean and how might it affect energy storage in the future?
What is a fundamental battery?
A fundamental battery is a next-generation technology that integrates a battery’s energy-storing function with a load-bearing structure.
This dual-purpose material serves as both real support and power for devices. By reducing the overall weight of a product, fundamental batteries enhance energy efficiency, especially in vehicles, aircraft, and electronic devices.
For instance, adding architectural batteries to EVs could increase driving range by up to 70 %, making laptops lighter and cellular phones as sleeveless as a credit card.
Researchers at Chalmers University are pushing the boundaries of fundamental battery development, aiming to change the way we store and use energy.
Pioneering elastic energy storage
A carbon-based architectural battery developed by the research team at Chalmers is both as powerful as aluminum and energy-dense enough to compete with conventional batteries.
As Richa Chaudhary, lead author of the research, explains, the novel battery functions similarly to a human skeleton, providing both support and power. This development represents a major advance in “massless energy storage,” where energy storage is easily integrated into the material used to create a product’s structure.
Since Chalmers has spent years developing fundamental batteries, new developments in material stiffness and energy density have made significant progress toward business use.
Since discovering in 2018 that thick carbon fibres could store energy, the research team has made remarkable progress, creating a lighter, more powerful battery than ever before.
The science behind fundamental batteries
Carbon fiber serves as both the positive and negative electrodes for the batteries created by Chalmers.
The good electrode serves as both an energy storage material and structural reinforcement, while the negative electrode uses lithium iron phosphate to the carbon fiber.
This versatile design reduces the total weight of the battery by eliminating the need for conventional large current collectors like aluminum and copper.
Additionally, the design avoids using conflict metals like cobalt, making the technology more lasting. Although more research is required to achieve higher power output for business applications, the semi-solid electrolyte used in the battery improves safety by lowering the risk of fire.
Lighter vehicles, lower energy use
In the automotive and aerospace industries, where reducing vehicle weight can drastically improve energy efficiency, one of the most interesting applications for fundamental batteries is aerospace.
The new batteries, with an energy density of 30 watt-hours per kilogram ( Wh/kg ), could allow electric vehicles to travel up to 70 % farther on a single charge.
Although this energy density is significantly lower than that of the existing lithium-ion batteries, structural integration makes up for it, giving users a better overall performance.
Additionally, the stiffness of the battery materials has greatly improved, from 25 to 70 gigapascals ( GPa ), making the structural batteries both lightweight and strong enough to meet safety standards for vehicles and aircraft.
According to Leif Asp, the research team’s leader, these advancements pave the way for more effective transportation, making lighter, longer-lasting electric cars more feasible.
Moving towards commercialisation
Despite the promise of fundamental batteries, the path to commercialisation is difficult. To help bridge this gap, Chalmers has launched a spin-off company, Sinonus AB, to scale up production and bring the technology to market.
In the near future, the aim is to incorporate architectural batteries into consumer electronics and transportation systems.
Professor Asp envisions a world where smart phones and laptops are thinner, lighter, and more robust thanks to this innovation.
The fundamental batteries have already attracted a lot of attention in the aerospace and automotive industries, highlighting their ability to transform these industries.
However, challenges remain, including improving energy density, optimising liquid performance, and scaling up production.
In spite of these obstacles, Asp is optimistic that structural batteries will quickly change how we think about material design and energy storage.
The future of architectural batteries
As architectural battery technology develops, there are a lot of potential applications for it. This technology could transform industries that depend on both power and architectural integrity, from portable electric vehicles to ultra-thin consumer electronics.
Although popular commercialization may still be in the makings, architectural batteries may be poised to play a key role in the development of energy storage.
