Researcher Natasha Shirshova with her team's inventionThe battery, which has powered our lives for generations, may soon be consigned to the dustbin of history.
British scientists say they have created a plastic that can store and release electricity, revolutionising the way we use phones, drive cars - and even wear clothes.
It means the cases of mobiles and iPods could soon double up as their power source - leading to gadgets as thin as credit cards.
The technology could also lead to flexible computer screens that can be folded up and carried around like a piece of paper. And it could even be used to create 'electric clothes' that charge up as a person moves around and which slowly release heat when the weather gets cold.
Dr Emile Greenhalgh, from Imperial College London's Department of Aeronautics, said the material is not really a battery, but a supercapacitor - similar to those found in typical electrical circuits.
His team's prototype - which is around five inches square and wafer-thin - takes five seconds to charge from a normal power supply and can light an LED for 20 minutes.
Dr Greenhalgh, who is working with car company Volvo on a three-year, £3million project to use the material in hybrid petrol-electric cars, said: 'We think the car of the future could be drawing power from its roof or even the door, thanks to our material.
'The applications for this material don't stop there - you might have a mobile that is as thin as a credit card because it no longer needs a bulky battery, or a laptop that can draw energy from its casing so it can run for longer.'
The material charges and discharges electricity quicker than a conventional battery, and does not use chemical processes - giving it a longer lifespan, he added.
The scientists plan to use it to replace the metal floor of a Volvo car's boot which holds the spare wheel.
This would mean Volvo could shrink the size of its hybrid battery - and cut down the weight of the car, making it more efficient.
Dr Greenhalgh said: 'No one has created a material like this - within ten years it could replace batteries.'
The new patented material from scientists at Imperial College could do away with the need for traditional batteries foreversource: dailymail
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