Skip to content
  • The Student Engineer
  • C2I Awards
  • Salary Survey
  • Latest Issue
  • Newsletter Signup
  • Employer Zone
  • Covid-19
The Engineer
  • News
  • In-depth
  • Opinion
  • JOBS
  • Sectors
  • Supplier Network
Search Login / Register Primary Menu
Close
Login or Register
News Automotive Energy & environment Materials Electric vehicles

Lamborghini and MIT unveil self-healing concept car

14th November 2017 10:52 am 14th November 2017 10:52 am

Engineers at Lamborghini are collaborating with researchers at MIT in the US on a self-repairing  electric supercar concept that doesn’t have batteries and stores electrical energy within its own body panels.

self-healing
Artist’s impression of the Terzo Millenio in action

Through the so-called Terzo Millennio (Italian for third millennium), which was unveiled at MIT’s annual EmTech conference in Cambridge Massachusetts, the two groups are exploring a range of ideas that they believe could reshape electric vehicles.

The concept is being developed through a three-year collaboration between the two groups that is aimed at exploring the science behind some of Lamborghini’s more outlandish concepts.

At the heart of the concept is a different approach to energy storage. The group aims to develop carbon nanotube supercapacitors that can be integrated into the body of the vehicle and used alongside regenerative braking technology to simultaneously harvest and release electric power.

Details on how this will be achieved, and specifically how the group will overcome the energy storage limitations of supercapacitors, are hazy with a statement from Lamborghini stating an ambition to “to better the limits of current technology and close the gap on conventional batteries’ energy density”.

The project also aims to develop technology that would be able to continuously monitor the vehicle’s carbon fibre structure for small cracks and trigger a self-healing process that see carbon nanotubes released to fill in the cracks and prevent them from spreading. In this case a self-repairing process starts via micro-channels filled with healing chemistries, reducing to zero the risks of small cracks propagating further in the carbon fibre structure.

self-healing
A scale model of the concept was presented at MIT’s EmTech 2017 conference

As previously reported by The Engineer, the idea of self-healing composite materials is one that’s being explored by a number of different industries.

Prof John Hart, leader of one of the MIT teams working on the project said:  “We are thrilled to combine our expertise in advanced materials and manufacturing with the vision and support of Automobili Lamborghini, and to realise new concepts that will shape the future of transportation.”

The Engineer Jobs

Visit the UK’s dedicated jobsite for engineering professionals. Each month, we’ll bring you hundreds of the latest roles from across the industry.

View jobs
In-depth The Student Engineer

How to write the perfect graduate engineering CV

News Medical & healthcare

“Trojan horse” nanoshells offer hope for more effective cancer treatment

13th November 2017 11:49 am 13th November 2017 11:49 am
News Rail & marine

Five train-builders make shortlist for £2.75bn HS2 contract

2nd November 2017 11:47 am 27th February 2019 1:11 pm
Latest ArticlesComments
coventry
Latest The Student Engineer

Renishaw apprentice flies high with Coventry degree

25th February 2021 11:19 am 25th February 2021 11:19 am
AR technology
Opinion Policy & business

Opinion: Budget 2021 – roadmap needed for global competitiveness

25th February 2021 10:56 am 25th February 2021 11:26 am
circular revolution
News Energy & environment

Riversimple to launch new circular economy centre

25th February 2021 10:36 am 25th February 2021 10:36 am
steel manufacturing
News Manufacturing

New steel manufacturing method could lower emissions

25th February 2021 7:35 am 24th February 2021 12:09 pm
  • Post a comment
    Cancel reply

    Threaded commenting powered by interconnect/it code.

    All comments are moderated. Click here for our guidelines.

Explore

  • SECTORS
    • AEROSPACE
    • AUTOMOTIVE
    • CIVIL AND STRUCTURAL
    • DEFENCE AND SECURITY
    • ELECTRONICS AND COMMUNICATIONS
    • ADVANCED MANUFACTURING
    • MATERIALS
    • MEDICAL AND HEALTHCARE
    • RAIL AND MARINE
    • ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT
      • NUCLEAR
      • COAL, OIL AND GAS
      • ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT
      • RENEWABLES
  • CAREERS
    • THE STUDENT ENGINEER
    • JOBS
    • SALARY CALCULATOR
    • SALARY SURVEY 2018
  • SKILLS AND CAREERS
  • POLICY & BUSINESS
  • VIDEOS
  • EVENTS
  • WEBINARS
  • CLASSIC ARCHIVE
  • C2I 2020 Winners Book
  • BACK ISSUES
  • NEWSLETTER SIGNUP
  • TECH TRENDS 2021
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • Flip
  • Advertise
  • Contact us
  • Cookies
  • Digital edition
  • Magazine subscription
  • Privacy
  • Website Terms and Conditions

Copyright © Mark Allen Engineering Ltd (a Mark Allen Group company) 2019

Mark Allen Engineering Limited
Registered Office: Mark Allen Group, St Jude's Church, Dulwich Road, London, SE24 0PB
Registered in England No. 11569365