Technical Capabilities:

Ultracapacitor Development for High-Power Energy Storage

The Department of Energy is engaged in a program to develop a cost-effective electric vehicle with sufficient power and range to meet our nation's demand for an emission-free consumer automobile. One of the key system elements for this vehicle is an ultracapacitor, which provides high specific power for vehicle acceleration. High energy-storage densities are possible in chemical double layer capacitors. Through the DOE- and NSF-sponsored Graduate Automotive Technology Program (GATE), students will study the fundamental properties of double layer capacitors in a hybrid vehicle.