UNAIR NEWS – A team from Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) introduced an innovation in electric vehicles and energy titled “Pak Baterai,” featuring dual-function charging, during the Whats Up Campus Calls Out event. The innovation was presented by Dr Yoga Uta Nugraha MT, a lecturer at the Faculty of Advanced Technology and Multidisciplinary Science (FTMM), on Thursday, September 17, 2026, at the Airlangga Convention Center (ACC), MERR-C Campus, UNAIR.
Limitations of conventional batteries
Uta, as he is known, explained that the invention was developed in response to limitations in conventional battery systems that rely on a single port. Addressing this issue called for a more optimal charging and power distribution system.
“The current issue is that batteries only use a single port. This creates a limitation in current-carrying capacity, causing the battery to overheat quickly. Right now, the trend in battery technology is that the smaller the battery gets, the more energy it stores,” he said.
Two ports, multiple modes
Through this invention, the team introduced a battery with two independent ports that can operate in several modes. “Our invention features two independent ports within a single battery unit. The system offers flexibility across three operating modes: dual charge, dual discharge, and simultaneous charge-discharge,” he explained.
Uta added that the system can also be applied to solar power plants (PLTS) and other renewable energy systems. In such a system, the battery can receive energy while simultaneously supplying power to the load.
This innovation has already been implemented in UNAIR’s internal research on several electric vehicles, namely SAGA, ALERTA, SWARA, and DARMA. Moving forward, the team hopes the innovation can be further developed through continued collaboration, eventually reaching economies of scale and mass production.
Author: Maulya Afifah Zahra
Editor : Khefti Al Mawalia
