When you look at the new trends in cars you will find that the only practical way to save energy is to use hybrid cars. However, they have one disadvantage and that is the weight of the batteries. Despite the use of lithium iron technology, these batteries are still heavy. This hampers the performance of present-day hybrid automobiles and the automobile engineers are on the lookout for ways to reduce the weight of batteries. If not for the batteries, the hybrid is the most practical solution to high prices of gasoline.
Presently, a few manufacturers of cars are experimenting with the use of body panels to store electrical energy that is generated while the hybrid cars are moving with the use of gasoline. Energy could be produced with regenerative braking or the battery could be plugged overnight to mains supply in order to charge. When body parts are able to store energy, the heavy batteries could be done away with.
The body panels that are being experimented with today are made out of polymer fiber and carbon resin. These charge quicker than conventional batteries and they are lighter in weight. Also, they are strong enough to make body panels of cars. When you consider all their properties they appear to be the perfect alternative to the heavy batteries of the present-day hybrid automobiles. There are nine auto manufacturers involved in this exercise.
There is another effort made by another automobile manufacturer. It is a bit ahead of the previous one. They are trying to make body panels that are able to utilize solar energy for charging in addition to replacing batteries. Once these panels are streamlined to be in the hybrid vehicles, they will be able to save more fuel. Therefore, the future hybrids are going to be able to utilize solar energy also.
No matter whether the body panels are going to just store the captured energy or they are going to utilize solar energy, the final aim is to have lighter storage devices for energy to run hybrid cars. In case these experiments become successful, we are going to have hybrids that will consume lower levels of energy derived from fossil fuels. Therefore, the opportunity will be there to use more fuel saving hybrids.
Presently, they appear to be the only viable solution to the escalating oil prices. Aerodynamic designs and lighter weight cars are also going to contribute towards achieving that goal.
