As one of Britain’s foremost authorities on batteries, Greenwood is trying to crack a problem that is baffling the global car industry: how to pack more juice into batteries, while making them lighter, more affordable and, most crucially, safe. If the electric car really is going to become the standard mode of personal transport, batteries have to improve significantly. Amid this uncertainty, Tesla — the Silicon Valley company that makes only electric vehicles — has arguably taken the lead. “Our batteries are 70%-80% better than Tesla’s in terms of energy density per litre,” said Greenwood. He is the professor in charge of research into advanced propulsion systems at Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), the university’s industry-funded research centre, which has tentacles stretching from cars to construction, and from steel to cybersecurity.
Times 23rd Oct 2016 read more »