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We all know the Chevy Volt’s range, we have heard it time and time again, 40 miles on one charge. Well, two companies out of Ohio are working on doubling that number to at least 80 miles per charge. Coupled with an ethanol or traditional internal combustion engine this range could make the Volt an even better “green” solution for GM.
How do they plan on tackling such craziness? Carbon nanofibers. For the geeks out there, Wikipedia defines carbon nanofibers as
Cylindric nanostructures with graphene layers arranged as stacked cones, cups or plates. Carbon nanofibers with graphene layers wrapped into perfect cylinders are called carbon nanotubes.
In a nutshell, tiny fibers that you can’t see, that make the Volt go vroom. The companies Applied Sciences Inc. and Pyrograf products have received $500,000 in investment from GM and another $1 million from Ohio Third Frontier. Applied Sciences handles the development, and Pyrograf is going to handle the production. The 400-pound Volt battery will hopefully contain this advanced nano-technology, and make our lives a little happier.
Oh and by the way, Pyrograf is already the worlds third largest producer of nanofiber materials, and produces 25% of the world’s current nanofiber production capacity.
