BMW files supercapacitor patent that'll charge hybrid racecars in one minute

BMW is exploring the possibility of adding a supercapacitor to a hybrid system to improve charging rates. In a way similar to the one used in the Lamborghini Sian, BMW thinks it could drop the charging time on hybrid cars used in motorsport to just one hot minute.

In the patent application filed with the German Patent and Trade Mark Office, BMW explains that coupling a hybrid supercap with a capacity of over 20kWh to an existing battery-based system negates some of the key cons of both systems.

Supercaps advantageously charge significantly faster than battery cells – the application talks about sending an eye-popping 3,000kW into the device. BYD, eat your heart out.

They weigh less, they hold more energy than regular caps and incessant rapid charging and discharging doesn’t degrade them in the same way it does to batteries.

Supercaps do however discharge as quickly as they can charge, so if the energy isn’t being used by the vehicle immediately, it could be directed to keep topping the battery up.

BMW reckons “for a customer who wants to drive the vehicle on the racetrack, this may offer the opportunity to drive continuously at the physical limits with short interruptions (1 minute for recharging after approximately 5 to 7 minutes of driving time, e.g., after every fourth lap)".

EV pit stop heaven? Quite possibly, and the carmaker reckons it could get that rejuicing time down to as low as 30 seconds, or make it work for 24-hour endurance races, such as Le Mans and Daytona. Plus, the application talks about harnessing the vehicle’s kinetic energy, as opposed to using a simpler regenerative braking model, though it doesn't go into detail.

The patent even covers BMW two-wheeled chariots, too.