IBM scientists are working on new battery designs that will allow electric cars to travel as far as 500 miles on a single charge.
The disclosure came as Big Blue released its annual forecast of technologies likely to change the world in five years. Among them was the expectation that electric cars and buses would by the middle of the next decade run for days or months between charges depending on driving habits.
Electric car batteries could go for days without a charge, IBM says
The company said work is underway on batteries capable of going 300 to 500 miles before plugging in. Researchers also are designing electric grids that permit recharging in public places using the renewable power of wind and solar farms.
Building sensors will be another widely used technology aimed at reducing carbon emissions, says IBM. In five years, many buildings will have thousands of sensors monitoring temperature, humidity, light, heating output, water use and electricity consumption. Administrators will be able to adjust systems to reduce power demands.
“Technology that manages facilities will operate like a living organism that can sense and respond quickly, in order to protect citizens, save resources and reduce carbon emissions,” the company said.
FYI, you can see more about that project to create an electric vehicle that can go 500 miles on a charge here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmHZhBqI500 (“Battery 500 Project”)