---
title: "Soft batteries made from trees to power cars and clothes"
description: "Scientists have developed soft, highly robust batteries from tree fibres that could be used to power everything from electric vehicles to clothes embedded with electronics."
date: "2015-05-29"
modified: "2015-08-13"
authors:
  - name: "Mark Parker"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/parkerm"
url: "https://futurism.com/soft-batteries-made-from-trees-to-power-cars-and-clothes"
categories:
  - "Future Materials"
  - "Science & Energy"
tags:
  - "materials"
---

# Soft batteries made from trees to power cars and clothes

![Default Futurism featured image](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Futurism-Filler-Image.jpg>)

- The battery material, which is created by breaking tree fibres down to form nanocellulose, takes the form of a wood-based aerogel that is foam-like in appearance and highly elastic.
- The aerogel is made by breaking down tree fibres so they are a millionth of their original size, a process that produces nano cellulose. Then comes the process of removing the water from the material, which must be done without allowing it to enter a liquid state.
- The aerogel also enables the batteries to have a 3D structure, providing far more storage capacity in a smaller space.The material’s structure gives it a very high surface area for its size; a cubic decimetre of the aerogel would cover most of a football pitch if spread out flat.