Here’s a different take on the problem of where to put the battery in an electric car. Scientists at Imperial College London are developing a material that can store and discharge electrical energy, and is also strong and lightweight enough to be used for the bodywork.

They expect this material could be used in hybrid petrol/electric vehicles making them lighter, more compact and more energy efficient, whilst being able to travel further between recharging.

The material, which has been patented by Imperial, could also be shaped into the casings of devices such as mobile phones and computers so that they would not need a separate battery.

Now in a Euro 3.4 million European-funded project involving Volvo Cars, among other collaborators, the researchers will develop the composite material so that it can be used to replace the metal casing in the wheel well where the spare is stored. Volvo is looking at developing and testing prototypes with this modification.

The team believes this could lead to a 15 per cent reduction in the car’s overall weight, significantly extending the range of future hybrid cars.

Not only that, the material, which is made of carbon fibres and a polymer resin, will store and discharge energy much more quickly than current car batteries. And because it will not rely on a chemical reaction to produce energy, it will also be quicker to recharge, and have a longer life than conventional batteries.