New York, June 4 (IANS): Researchers from the US have developed a safe, affordable and environment friendly method that can 'instantly recharge' batteries of electric and hybrid vehicle.

The process, presented at the recently held International Society for Porous Media 9th International Conference in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, takes time similar to refuelling a car at a gas station.

"The biggest challenge for industry is to extend the life of a battery's charge and the infrastructure needed to actually charge the vehicle. The greatest hurdle for drivers is the time commitment to keeping their cars fully charged," said John Cushman from Purdue University, who co-founded Ifbattery LLC (IF-battery).

The innovation could expedite the adoption of electric and hybrid vehicles by eliminating the time needed to stop and re-charge a conventional electric car's battery and dramatically reducing the need for new infrastructure to support re-charging stations.

"Ifbattery is developing an energy storage system that would enable drivers to fill up their electric or hybrid vehicles with fluid electrolytes to re-energise spent battery fluids much like refuelling their gas tanks," added Eric Nauman, co-founder of Ifbattery.

The spent battery fluids or electrolyte could be collected and taken to a solar farm, wind turbine installation or hydroelectric plant for re-charging.