Does anyone remember old mobile phones positively? Aside for the terrible aesthetics, the battery life was shorter than a fly’s genitals. And the same is apparently true for hybrids now.

Speaking to Magnetic Systems Technology the battery life could be about to get a lot better. The company has been working to develop a hybrid Land Rover over the past eight years.

Through a few modifications in its transmissions it has made a hybrid that gives a 20 per cent saving in fuel, an additional 350Nm of torque and 100 kw of power. Albeit, the only identifier is an on/off button where the stereo should be.

Speaking to Marcus Jenkins, MD of MST, Greenbang learned that one of the reasons for selecting a Landy was to evaluate different types of battery. Using a sodium nickel chloride battery gives a 60km range but the company is pretty sure, like mobile phones, lithium based batteries is the way ahead. Of the three different tested batteries lithium ion will be the way to improve vastly on this figure.

The company is applying similar technology into the bus market and heavy goods vehicle market. A video of the full interview with MST is available on YouTube.