New thermoelectric materials will be tested in BMW, Ford, and Chevrolet vehicles by the end of summer.
At least two-thirds of the energy in gasoline used in cars and trucks is wasted as heat. Thermoelectrics, semiconductor materials that convert heat into electricity, could capture this waste heat, reducing the fuel needs of the vehicle and improving fuel economy by at least 5 percent. But the low efficiency and high cost of existing thermoelectric materials has kept such devices from becoming practical in vehicles.
Source: http://feeds.technologyreview.com/click.phdo?i=d5e6958930b0316a1ec72712f1b4624c
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