Friday, July 2, 2010

Toshiba Partnering with Mitsubishi To Develop Li-ion SCiB Battery Systems for EVs

Toshiba Corporation announced that it is working with Mitsubishi Motors Corporation to bring its SCiB battery to electric vehicles (EVs). The SCiB is Toshiba’s rechargeable lithium-ion battery that combines high levels of safety with a long life and rapid recharging.

The use of new oxide-based materials in the current SCiB cells results in capacity loss after 3000 charge-discharge cycles of less than 10%; SCiB cells achieve more than 6000 charge-discharge cycles. More than 90% of the SCiB cell capacity can be charged in just 5 minutes using a large charging current (max. 50A).

A SCiB module now under development that houses the SCiB cells optimizes usage of individual cells and this, along with the long life cycle of the SCiB, adds to the overall durability of the battery over different cruising distances.

In bringing the SCiB to EV, Toshiba has developed a new original anode material and a new electrolyte that enhances both safety and rapid recharging.

Toshiba positions the SCiB as a new business with promising long term growth potential—and one that is already showing its versatility, as the SCiB has already been selected for an electric bicycle, an electric motorcycle, and as part of the power storage in a microgrid system.

Toshiba will produce SCiB for industrial applications, including EV and power storage, at Kashiwazaki Operations, a new facility in Niigata prefecture that is slated to start production in 2011. In the EV sector, Toshiba will move ahead by establishing an operating structure for promoting sales and marketing activities that will secure orders and allow it to respond quickly to market growth.

Mitsubishi has also earlier formed a joint venture with GS Yuasa—Lithium Energy Japan—to manufacture large-capacity and high-performance lithium-ion batteries.

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