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

  • Electromobility in the off-highway industry
    September 14, 2020
    Electrification brings many benefits to off-road machines including zero exhaust emissions, improved efficiency and significantly reduced noise levels, so why aren’t we seeing more of them yet? Zeyd Okutan, Volvo Penta’s product manager responsible for the company’s Industrial Segment Electromobility Product Planning and Strategy, explains what direction the industry is heading in and what needs to happen before electric-powered machines become the norm
  • Big excavators go ‘e’
    September 28, 2023
    These days, even those beasts of the construction site – excavators – have a date with sustainability, despite the huge amount of electric power needed to operate a machine that pushes about high loads of dirt.
  • Electric Avenue for heavy machinery?
    February 6, 2018
    The future for electric drive machines looks healthy, and not just for on-road transport. As concerns grow worldwide over urban pollution levels as well as global warming, it seems that electric drive vehicles are being seen as one of the answers for the future. In the automotive sector, sales of electric vehicles are growing as manufacturers offer improved models that benefit from better range due to gains in battery technology as well as faster recharging and future potential from supercapacitors. These
  • Komatsu and Proterra in e-excavator prototype
    February 8, 2021
    The deal with Komatsu is US-based Proterra’s entry into the off-road electric market.