In brief: Researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China have developed a temperature-regulating blanket that aims to improve the performance and longevity of lithium-ion batteries inside electric vehicles. That's right, a blanket for your car.

As New Scientist highlights, most modern electric vehicles have integrated thermoregulation systems that ensure batteries stay within their optimal operating temperature. The system is only operational when the vehicle is on, however, meaning your batteries are left to brave the elements when your car is off and parked.

To give them a fighting change, Kehang Cui and colleagues developed a thermal blanket designed to help regulate an EV's temperature when parked.

The blanket's outer layer is constructed of silica and boron nitride to reflect heat and sunlight, with an inner layer comprised of aluminum to trap warmth. In testing, the team's blanket was able to cool an EV by eight degrees Celsius on a hot day and warm it by seven degrees Celsius at night.

I am all for properly maintaining batteries to extend their lifetime, but I'm not sure a car blanket is the best way to go about it.

For one, is eight degrees Celsius really going to make that big of a difference in the grand scheme of things? How much would a sedan-sized car blanket cost, and how would you prevent someone from stealing it? What's more, let's not forget the hassle of having to install it every time you park your car and remove it when you're ready to drive. This would be a pain on an extremely hot day or during a downpour.

Constantly taking it on and off is also going to wreck your vehicle's paint over time, as will the friction between the blanket and the car caused by wind grinding dirt into your clear coat.

Cui told the publication that the blanket could be scaled up and put into commercial production, but more research is needed to assess the improvements the blanket affords and to quantify the payback period.