Because the battery panels in this test care are replacing heavy structural components while doing away with the centralized battery, the total weight is reduced dramatically. Volvo estimates that replacing an EV’s entire power system with battery-infused panels like this would reduce the weight by 15%. To put that in context, Tesla’s entry-level battery pack weighs over 1,000 pounds. Perhaps even more importantly, the weight will be evenly distributed to allow for better handling and less engineering hassle.

Beyond the realm of fully electric vehicles, even replacing a few parts of conventional cars could do away with the need for heavy 12-volt batteries that power the starter, lights, and other components. In the middle ground, hybrid vehicles could also benefit from rechargeable paneling.

This approach to powering EVs is not without its drawbacks, though. While carbon fiber is very strong, some parts of a car are designed to collapse in the event of an accident. By absorbing some of the energy from impact, the crumple zones can protect your squishy human body from the worst of it. That means more damage to the power paneling in places like the hood and trunk, which will be expensive to repair. Emergency crews could also face a new challenge trying to rescue people from such a vehicle after a crash — they would essentially be trying to fish someone out of a giant damaged battery.

Volvo didn’t say when it might use the nanomaterial in a production vehicle, but was keen to point out the sustainability of such an approach. If Volvo does put structural batteries into production, it will need to work on lowering the cost of carbon fiber, which is still quite high.