Skip to main content

Developments in super-capacitors will see them replacing batteries

Developments in super-capacitors will see these replacing batteries in applications such as hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles. New generation super-capacitors are said to be more reliable, less costly, less affected by temperature variance and also safer. Super-capacitors have been recognised for their high power density, long lifetime and low internal resistance, and they can be constructed from commonly available, low cost materials. In the recently updated IDTechEx report "Supercapacitor/ Ultracap
January 20, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
Developments in super-capacitors will see these replacing batteries in applications such as hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles. New generation super-capacitors are said to be more reliable, less costly, less affected by temperature variance and also safer. Super-capacitors have been recognised for their high power density, long lifetime and low internal resistance, and they can be constructed from commonly available, low cost materials.

In the recently updated IDTechEx report "Supercapacitor/ Ultracapacitor Interviews, Strategies, Road Map 2014-2024" www.idtechex.com/superApps, the IDTechEx roadmap has graphene active electrodes promising up to 200 Wh/kg, ahead of current lithium-ion batteries. Super-capacitors and their derivatives super-cabatteries (asymmetric electrochemical double layer capacitors AEDLC), particularly the lithium-ion capacitor versions, are widening in application.

The reports says that the European electric vehicle industry is weakened by having to import lithium-ion batteries from Japan, China and Korea to get the best price/performance for mass markets. However, Europe could also stay weak in super-capacitors, as investors are failing to see that super-capacitors are increasingly key enabling components for EVs and other applications. There are exceptions such as Maxwell Technologies, which has used super-capacitors in pure electric buses in China. WIMA of Germany has sold huge water-cooled, energy harvesting super-capacitors to 2300 Komatsu for use in construction machines. But Europe continues to be a net importer of super-capacitors.

For more information on companies in this article

Komatsu

Related Content

  • Fuel cell vehicle market will accelerate from 2015
    May 1, 2012
    While the market for fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) has been slower to develop than many anticipated a few years ago, major automakers including Toyota, Daimler, GM, Honda, and Hyundai have all publicly stated that fuel cells are a critical piece of a complete clean vehicle portfolio.
  • The worksite of the (near) future
    February 1, 2021
    Innovations will impact efficiency and productivity in worksites of the future
  • EU noise levels rising
    July 31, 2012
    The EU funded SILENCE project maps the transport causes and possible solutions for reducing noise, reports Alan Peterson With Europe's ever-increasing population growth, the issue of noise for its 100 million citizens is becoming a pressing problem. Over 25% are exposed to critical transport-related noise, according to research by the EU funded SILENCE project, which reported its findings in Germany in May. The purpose of SILENCE is to develop an integrated methodology and technology for the improved contro
  • Big power from Kubota’s V3307 micro-hybrid engine for short, high-demand working
    March 16, 2023
    Kubota’s new V3307 Micro-Hybrid Engine, the first of the company’s micro-hybrid powerplants, is “the perfect solution for short, high-demand applications,” says the manufacturer.