“Page-Roberts has revealed a patented design concept for an electric vehicle with world beating efficiency, releasing the potential for 30% greater range for an equivalent battery size.
Until now, EV manufacturers have been drawn towards placing the batteries under the floor as a convenient way to package sufficient battery energy for an acceptable range. The drawbacks of this are the added height, added weight, body structural complexities, along with an often-extended wheelbase.
The Page-Roberts innovation positions the battery between the front row seats and a second row of rear-facing seats. This arrangement is far more compact than standard electric vehicle designs on the market and offers the exciting potential for a lower, more aerodynamic vehicle with a standard wheelbase. The resulting vehicle will be lighter, more streamlined and up to 30% more efficient. As a consequence, it offers the potential for either an extended range or to use a smaller battery to achieve a similar range. The reduced scale also means manufacturing costs are up to 36% lower.
Page-Roberts CEO, Freddy Page-Roberts said: “the skateboard arrangement has become the mainstay of most EVs. But this results in taller vehicles with increased aerodynamic losses and energy consumption (especially at motorway speeds), extra structure required to protect against impact, and a longer wheelbase to account for the battery. The increased size and weight dramatically inhibit range. By simply moving the location of the battery pack, we have come up with a much more efficient solution.”
The Page-Roberts design is particularly suited to small EVs, for which there is a very strong demand, despite most manufacturers focusing their attention on larger SUV. The absence of batteries under the floor also offers great design freedom, with the potential to produce lower height designs, giving a unique solution for sleek and sporty 4 seat vehicles.
Mark Simon, CTO, said: “challenges around battery cost and energy density along with range and charging infrastructure continue to stall progress with EVs, despite both car brands and tech leaders racing to put their stamp on the market. Our design concept reduces costs, increases efficiency, enhances agility, and offers design freedom. The efficiency translates to less time charging from either longer range or smaller batteries, so pressure on charging points – another key pain point for the industry – will also be reduced.””