Drivers would remove the spent "rust" liquid using a withdrawal nozzle at the pump.

They would then use a second nozzle to refill the battery with fresh liquid from the pump.

The Glasgow team said the liquid would provide the same range of miles as conventional fossil fuel.

And Prof Cronin said his liquid battery did not age in the same way as current electric systems.

'Unstoppable barrier'

He also said their capacity - the amount of energy they can carry - was higher.

The team said the process of making the liquid was not too difficult but scaling up production was the next challenge.

The technology could also be used to keep power domestic energy supplies.

A small prototype is being upscaled at present - and everything seems to be going well, according to researchers.

Prof Cronin said: "If you are going to shift to electric cars, recharge time seems to be an almost unstoppable barrier because you are going to have to plan - even with a super-charger - a half-hour to 45-minute wait.

"And then there's the anxiety of whether you have got enough charging stations.

"I can see a situation where you would have petrol and liquid battery co-existing for a while."

The research is funded by the University of Glasgow, the European Research Council and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

Source: BBC