Lamborghini's Terzo Millennio EV Incorporates Supercapacitors and Self-healing Properties

author: Michael Cheng   

These days, most automotive companies load up their futuristic concept cars with the latest technology available on the market. The Lamborghini Terzo Millennio concept vehicle is one of those creations that aims to impress.

The name of the unit translates to "Third Millennium," suggesting it is may not be available for quite some time. During the design stages of the Terzo, Lamborghini engineers collaborated with MIT researchers to revolutionize battery storage.  

"The new Lamborghini collaboration allows us to be ambitious and think outside the box in designing new materials that answer energy storage challenges for the demands of an electric sport vehicle," said Mircea Dinca, Chemistry Professor at MIT, in a statement.

Self-healing, Fast-charging

Without the use of conventional lithium-ion power cells, the concept vehicle will instead come equipped with supercapacitors. Taking the technology further, the body of the car is made out of super-charged carbon fiber material that is capable of storing energy. Additionally, the high-caliber unit features self-healing properties, in order to protect its ability to store and manage energy.

Supercapacitors are specifically useful for rapid charging and discharging. But when it comes to storage, most high-capacity batteries can hold more power. Battery storage, according to the luxury automotive brand, isn't exactly top priority, since the concept car could recharge more often. This, in some ways, is a patchy solution to range anxiety.

"I'd rather have quick charging than long range," explained Maurizio Reggiani, Lamborghini's Chief Technical Officer. "Because if you have really quick charging, the range doesn't matter as much. I'd rather be able to do four laps of the Nurburgring and then charge in three minutes than be able to drive a long distance but take a long time to recharge."

Robo-racing Features

While the development of the concept car's battery storage features may take some time to complete, the automotive company believes its automated driving systems will likely arrive sooner. But unlike driverless platforms for mainstream cars, the establishment's self-driving technology is applicable to racing and leisure driving.

In application, the Terzo Millennio could serve as a ghost car on racetracks for professional drivers looking to proactively hone their skills. To ‘learn' about the track, the car may shuttle the driver around the path a few times. After registering a fast lap time, the vehicle can be left to perform autonomously. The driver can simply get into another car and race against the ghost vehicle, which will execute every lap in the same manner.

Interestingly, this technology is not new. Audi, along with Stanford University, has successfully developed and tested self-driving cars for such purposes. In 2010, the car company configured an Audi TTS to execute laps around Pikes Peak, a rally course with a 14,110-foot summit.

In 2014, Audi demonstrated a highly refined version of its autonomous robo-racing platform. This time, the company configured an Audi RS 7. To complete laps safely, the self-driving car utilizes GPS and 3D cameras, while feeding data to operators on the sidelines in real-time, through a private network.

Michael Cheng

Michael Cheng is a legal editor and technical writer with publications for Blackberry ISHN Magazine Houzz and Payment Week. He specializes in technology business and digesting hard data. Outside of work Michael likes to train for marathons spend time with his daughter and explore new places.