Electric car Snuggie promises to extend battery lifespan

[Shawn Knight]

In brief: Researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China have developed a temperature-regulating blanket that aims to improve the performance and longevity of lithium-ion batteries inside electric vehicles. That's right, a blanket for your car.

As New Scientist highlights, most modern electric vehicles have integrated thermoregulation systems that ensure batteries stay within their optimal operating temperature. The system is only operational when the vehicle is on, however, meaning your batteries are left to brave the elements when your car is off and parked.

To give them a fighting change, Kehang Cui and colleagues developed a thermal blanket designed to help regulate an EV's temperature when parked.

The blanket's outer layer is constructed of silica and boron nitride to reflect heat and sunlight, with an inner layer comprised of aluminum to trap warmth. In testing, the team's blanket was able to cool an EV by eight degrees Celsius on a hot day and warm it by seven degrees Celsius at night.

I am all for properly maintaining batteries to extend their lifetime, but I'm not sure a car blanket is the best way to go about it.

For one, is eight degrees Celsius really going to make that big of a difference in the grand scheme of things? How much would a sedan-sized car blanket cost, and how would you prevent someone from stealing it? What's more, let's not forget the hassle of having to install it every time you park your car and remove it when you're ready to drive. This would be a pain on an extremely hot day or during a downpour.

Constantly taking it on and off is also going to wreck your vehicle's paint over time, as will the friction between the blanket and the car caused by wind grinding dirt into your clear coat.

Cui told the publication that the blanket could be scaled up and put into commercial production, but more research is needed to assess the improvements the blanket affords and to quantify the payback period.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/99373-electric-car-snuggie-promises-extend-battery-lifecycle.html

 

[Cycloid Torus]

My gran used to do the same thing with her teapot - with something called a "cozy".

 

[Theinsanegamer]

"For one, is eight degrees Celsius really going to make that big of a difference in the grand scheme of things?"

Lithium batteries have very tight temperature tolerances. during very hot or cold weather, yes, eight degrees Celsius is going to make a huge difference.

"Constantly taking it on and off is also going to wreck your vehicle's paint over time, as will the friction between the blanket and the car caused by wind grinding dirt into your clear coat."

If you are parking outside anyway, the damage you are doing to your clear coat is already notable. And EVs are disposable vehicles anyway, once that battery goes bad in 7-10 years you'll have to buy a new one, since nobody makes those batteries anymore. Just as we have seen with every other lithium powered gadget in our day to day lives. So the paint merely has to outlive the batteries.

 

[toooooot]

"For one, is eight degrees Celsius really going to make that big of a difference in the grand scheme of things?"

Lithium batteries have very tight temperature tolerances. during very hot or cold weather, yes, eight degrees Celsius is going to make a huge difference.

"Constantly taking it on and off is also going to wreck your vehicle's paint over time, as will the friction between the blanket and the car caused by wind grinding dirt into your clear coat."

If you are parking outside anyway, the damage you are doing to your clear coat is already notable. And EVs are disposable vehicles anyway, once that battery goes bad in 7-10 years you'll have to buy a new one, since nobody makes those batteries anymore. Just as we have seen with every other lithium powered gadget in our day to day lives. So the paint merely has to outlive the batteries.

Plenty of older Prius batteries out there.
That is something to think of when purchasing EV, it should be a popular model and brand.

 

[p51d007]

What's next? Tuck it in at night and tell it a bedtime story?
I don't have to put a blanket on my car. Unless it is 20-30 BELOW zero (F)
my car starts every time.

 

[nulll]

So I'm thinking someone writing for Techspot is a Newfoundlander? Considering I have driven past that exact Subaru on Prospect Street in Downtown St. John's for a couple of years now it was pretty eerie to see it as the banner image for this article. Honestly the tarp is most likely to preclude the preposterous volume of Seagull shite that rains down on the regular near the Harbor buuut maybe not?

 

[kiwigraeme]

Downpour - what about a gale force wind
Given that - surely a hydraulic controlled water - air micro bubble wrap directly on battery - Hydraulic or some mechanism removes when driving if not needing - if for cooling - will pack with water that evaporates off - top up water in condenser - if for heating drain water- and blow up bubbles with air
probably already tech in some cars to cool batteries or keep them warm

Easier yet an insulation blanket puffs inwards from compartment around it

Even VW Combis or Beatles were air cooled

 

[3volv3d]

The whole concept of EV is lame. An infrastructure should be built in properly not half assed.
Wireless charging roads, or car parks. Bump up them taxes and food prices.

Or just knock the awfully designed towns over, make them run along side rail. Use scooters or bikes to finish journeys. Ditch cars altogether. Could be done, if they hadn't built craply non future proofed towns.

Or maybe start to wittle down the numbers, because there are far too many people.

Honestly I don't know why people think this is the next big thing. This like Netflix, is actually screwing everything into the ground, making everything unattainable with monthly prices. They don't even sucker you in like Netflix with low prices, they is overpriced as hell, and then you have the hidden monthly extras.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Plenty of older Prius batteries out there.
That is something to think of when purchasing EV, it should be a popular model and brand.

There's also a lot that have failed over the years, to the point that replacing it as an end user is well documented, as are battery upgrades. Which isnt a huge problem in a prius, but is in an EV, where the battery is part of the superstructure and not user accessible.

The prius also want lithium. It was NiMH. Completely different chemistry with its own restrictions. Notably, they are more tolerant of cold temperatures.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

The whole concept of EV is lame. An infrastructure should be built in properly not half assed.
Wireless charging roads, or car parks. Bump up them taxes and food prices.

Brilliant idea, lets give MORE money to the monkeys that cant open a paper bag without a $1 mil development budget.

Or just knock the awfully designed towns over, make them run along side rail. Use scooters or bikes to finish journeys. Ditch cars altogether. Could be done, if they hadn't built craply non future proofed towns.

I love when people pull out this dusty chestnut. It's a great time to dunk on them by reminding them that we HAD that. We HAD towns built along rail, with bikes for the last mile. See, we ripped them up, because cars are far more convenient and waste far less of our time.

That "future proofing" was obsolete in 1903.

Or maybe start to wittle down the numbers, because there are far too many people.

Please tell us more about your eugenics program.

Honestly I don't know why people think this is the next big thing. This like Netflix, is actually screwing everything into the ground, making everything unattainable with monthly prices. They don't even sucker you in like Netflix with low prices, they is overpriced as hell, and then you have the hidden monthly extras.

And your solution to this is........higher taxes? Higher food prices? Geneus room temp IQ play right there.

EVs are seen as the next big thing because they are the only other realistic method of powering personal transportation without oil, and at least on the surface level they free smaller countries from having to ship in oil products to run their cars and trucks.