Researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University have unveiled a thermal cloak, which allegedly holds the potential to significantly prolong electric vehicle (EV) battery life and enhance overall performance.

The team behind the project suggest this cloak is able to achieve temperature regulation without the need for any external energy input.

Unlike conventional methods that rely on active cooling or heating systems, the thermal cloak operates passively, reducing energy consumption and maximising efficiency.

The researchers have published their findings in the journal Device, detailing the Janus thermal cloak (JTC) they developed.

They stressed that the JTC leverages radiative cooling and photon recycling, making it a scalable and reliable solution for various applications, including EVs, buildings and even extraterrestrial environments.

Field tests conducted on EVs equipped with the JTC showed that during scorching summer days, the thermal cloak achieved a sub-ambient cooling of up to 8.0°C.

On winter nights, it provided warming of 6.8°C, according to the report.