Adding electrons to aluminium can create a rare metal. An Australian student has been thinking in terms of conversion too – only on a greater scale.
His idea is to provide existing cars with internal combustion engines with an electric drive function. He developed a compact axial flux motor that is retrofitted onto the brake disc.
The energy required comes from a battery stored in the trunk. A sensor attached to the accelerator, meanwhile, controls the motor’s power.
The next step is to produce a fully functional kit so that cars can travel 150 km on electric power alone…
Potentially helpful: batteries being 3D printed to fulfil specific design functions. Simple innovation is making things tricky for car thieves too.
