Toshiba Announces Plan to Make Lithium-Ion Batteries for EVs and Plug-In Hybrids

Tokyo October 22, 2008; Japanese electronics giant Toshiba Corp. announced today that has joined the race to mass produce lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids.

Toshiba aims to make 3 million lithium-ion battery cells a month starting in 2010, the company said. Battery packs for hybrid cars can contain hundreds of cells. The company now makes 150,000 cells a month, mostly for electric bicycles.

Toshiba said its plans include an investment of $194.2 million to expand battery production to cars by 2010. It will join the ranks of Japan's Sanyo Electric Co., Panasonic EV Energy Co. and NEC Corp. developing lithium-ion batteries for automakers.

Lithium-ion batteries are key to making hybrid and electric vehicles commonplace, because they are lighter and more powerful than current generation of nickel-metal hydride batteries.

Toshiba said its SCiB lithium batteries use a lithium-titanium oxide negative electrode that makes their batteries more stable than typical lithium-ion batteries, which use carbon-based negative electrodes.

The SCiB batteries also generate less heat, which reduces the risk of fire, the company said. Toshiba further claimed that its batteries can recharge to 90 percent capacity in only five minutes.