New technology could make mass-market electric vehicles possible

Scientists at Britain's National Physical Laboratory say high-temperature capacitors they're helping develop could pave the way for better electric vehicles. While electric vehicles are hoped to represent more than 50 percent of worldwide light duty vehicle sales by 2050, the researchers said, the absence of suitable capacitors is a major barrier to achieving that goal. Capacitors, with their ability to store and then release energy, are vital to the process of converting DC power from a vehicle's battery into AC power required to drive the motor, but current capacitors have problems functioning reliably under the high temperatures created in electric vehicles, a laboratory release said Tuesday. Laboratory researchers have been involved in developing a capacitor dubbed HITECA that can operate close to normal efficiency at more than 390 degrees Fahrenheit, the release said. The capacitor was created from a ceramic compound, the researchers said, chosen after an exhaustive analysis of lead-free capacitor alternatives. "The opportunities for electric vehicles are huge, both financially and environmentally, but they are currently being held back by a few technical issues," project lead scientist Tatiana Correia said. "With this high temperature capacitor we believe we have solved an important one of those issues and will play a vital part in the move towards mass market electric vehicles."