Flexicells to beat battery weight

EE July/August 1986 FLEXICELLS TO BEAT BATTERY WEIGHT by Dr Alan Hooper, Materials Developments Division, Harwell Engineers designing electrical and electronics equipment from electric traction vehicles to port- able radios for domestic or military use, have always been frustrated by the weight and size of batteries that have to be carried Now under development at Britain"s largest laboratories, in collaboration with other scientists in the UK and in Denmark, all-solid-state rechargeable lithium batteries bring pollution-free driving a great deal nearer and may trigger many new and exciting ideas for battery-powered equipment Battery-powered electric vehicles (EVs) are already in use in many countries. One example, in the UK, is the humble milkdelivery wagon, or "milk float". It is successful because to do its job it needs to work over only a short range and a low speed is acceptable in built-up areas, where it has the added advantage over the internal combustion engine of not cau...