Ohm Battery promises peace of mind by solving key problem areas in car battery technology

An experimental car battery promises to solve two problem areas in existing car battery technology: weight and depletion.

TechCrunch reports that the Ohm car battery, introduced at technology seed funding company Y Combinator's Class of Summer 2015, addresses the problem of battery weight and longevity present in almost all modern sealed lead-acid cells.

To solve the issue of weight, the Ohm battery uses a combination of a bank of electric double-layer supercapacitors and a set of smaller Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries. The supercapacitors store and dispense enough energy to start an engine, while the set of smaller batteries serve as a backup power source that supplies energy when the battery is inactive.

The total weight of the system comes in at about six pounds (2.7 Kgs), way lower than the usual 40 or so pounds (about 18 Kgs) of an ordinary car battery.

Swapping out large lead plates for smaller internal components mean that the Ohm battery is smaller than ordinary cells. To remedy this, the Ohm comes in an external case that approximates the dimensions of an ordinary cell in order to fit in a space allotted for a battery inside the engine block.

Meanwhile, the Ohm tackles the problem of unexpected battery depletion by filling the spare space inside its internal case with smart circuitry that monitors the amount of potential output of the supercapacitor. Should the battery's output get close to critical levels, the battery will prioritize being able to start the car over other electricity-consuming items; it will cut supply to the car's lights and stereo system once the potential output dips too low.

Another interesting feature of the Ohm is that because it does not require any liquids to function, it will have no trouble starting a car even on the coldest, most snowed-in days.

According to the specifications posted on their website, the Ohm is rated for use between -30° to 50° Celsius (-22°F to 122°F). Lastly, the Ohm battery has an expected life span of about seven years.

The Ohm battery is currently in a beta testing phase, but its manufacturers say that they are aiming for a price point of about $200.