New Toshiba SCiB Electric Car Battery Needs Just 6 Minutes To Add 320 Kilometers Of Range

When we think of electric car batteries, we think of Samsung SDI, Panasonic, LG Chem, and Tesla. The name  Toshiba seldom enters the conversation. Yet Toshiba has been toiling away in relative obscurity at the margins of battery research for several years. Now it says it has developed a new version of its SCiB battery that can be recharged in less time and at higher power than batteries from its competitors.

The anode and cathode are the keys to any battery. Those are the places where electrons rush in during charging and out again to power electric motors or other devices. The more electrons that can be stored and the faster they can move the better. Anodes and cathodes degrade over time, reducing battery performance. Some can be damaged by physical impacts or high temperatures, leading to the escape of poisonous gases or fires.

Designing anodes and cathodes that have high energy density, long life, and low volatility is very much an occult science worthy of alchemists. Toshiba introduced its SCiB rechargeable battery cells in 2008, which differ from most other lithium ion batteries in that they use lithium titanium oxide for the anode.

The company says LTO improves battery performance at low temperatures (we can’t all live in Palo Alto). It also gives excellent power density, long battery life, and is resistant to the damage that can occur in other batteries from external impacts. In tests, the new battery maintains 90% of its capacity after 5,000 charging cycles.

The next generation of Toshiba’s SCiB battery cells uses titanium niobium oxide  for its anode material. Toshiba says it has double the storage capacity of the graphite based anodes generally used in conventional lithium ion batteries. The new battery has both high energy density and ultra-rapid recharging characteristics. Its titanium niobium oxide anode is less susceptible to lithium metal deposition during ultra-rapid recharging or recharging in cold conditions — a frequent cause of battery degradation and internal short circuiting.

Toshiba claims the new battery can add up to 200 miles of range to an electric car after just 6 minutes using a high power charger, but doesn’t define what it considers “high power.” Typical DC fast charging equipment in the US operates at 50 kW. Tesla Superchargers have 135 kW of power and ABB has just announced the first installations of chargers that have up to 350 kW of power.

“We are very excited by the potential of the new titanium niobium oxide anode and the next-generation SCiB,” said Dr. Osamu Hori, director of Toshiba’s corporate research & development center. “Rather than an incremental improvement, this is a game changing advance that will make a significant difference to the range and performance of EV. We will continue to improve the battery’s performance and aim to put the next-generation SCiB™ into practical application in fiscal year 2019.”

Source: Electric Cars Report

Court Documents Reveal More About The Potential Apple EV

Earlier this year it came out that Apple was being sued by battery maker A123 Systems for poaching one of its top electric vehicle battery engineers. While A123 has said it is getting out of the EV business, the lawsuit also alleges that Apple has lured away other big battery builders, lending credence to rumors that it is building its own electric car division.

VentureBeat reports that one of the employees in question was one Mujeeb Ijaz the CTO of A123 Systems, who was paid nearly $300,000 per month to develop batteries for Formula 1 race cars. That’s top-of-the-line battery tech, making him an ideal candidate for Apple’s own battery program. The lawsuit alleges that Ijaz and other A123 employees, as well as employees from the battery divisions of Toshiba, Samsung, Panasonic, and LG, were poached via an “aggressive campaign” by Apple to populate its own large battery division.

The suit says that Ijaz and Apple knowingly broke a contract, and Apple is reportedly settling with A123 out of court, most likely in order to put this little episode behind them and not let out any more information on the so-called “Project Titan” electric car. The mounting evidence of an Apple electric car is increasingly impossible to ignore though. Apple has been accused of targeting employees from Tesla with quarter-million dollar signing bonuses, and a suspicious facility near Apple’s Cupertino, California headquarters seems to be dedicated to in-house car research. For a company that mostly makes phones and computers, adding an on-site garage is a strange move indeed. There are also rumors of a massive factory complex that Apple is building in Ireland, but who knows what that could be for? We probably won’t know until much closer to 2020.

The only thing I know for sure is that I should have taken engineering courses, instead of devoting whole semesters to parsing through Tolstoy and Milton.

Honda works updated Micro Commuter, FCX Clarity into 'Smart Mobility' exhibit

Honda plans to show how its super-small electric vehicle prototype fits into the bigger picture. The Japanese automaker is collaborating with electronics giant Toshiba and home-builder Sekisui House in their Smart Mobility City joint exhibit at the 43rd Tokyo Motor Show starting later this month. Themed "Being Smarter! Being Freer!", the companies will show off their truly utopian vision of neighborhoods with a "stable supply of renewable energy through the utilization of batteries and management of EV recharging."

As far as the rubber hitting the road, Honda will include one of its FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles as well as its updated electric Micro Commuter: the MC-β. Both the revised mini car and an autonomous version of the original will be part of a test-drive/demonstration event.

The Micro Commuter was first introduced to us last year and features a 1+1 tandem setup like the Renault Twizy – though with it's swappable rear seat, it can instead accommodate two children behind the driver. It's said to include a 15-kilowatt motor powered by a lithium-ion battery that can provide a 60-km (37-mile) single-charge range and a top speed of 80 km/h (50 miles per hour). The car's about 98 inches long, or about eight inches shorter than a Smart ForTwo. As of this summer, Honda was reportedly about to begin testing prototypes. The company unveiled a previous version of the MC at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show. For more details on the joint exhibition, check out Honda's press release below.

Show full PR text

News Source: Honda

Nikkei: Japanese Li-ion battery firms boost R&D to counter aggressive S Koreans

The Nikkei reports that Japanese makers of Li-ion batteries are boosting R&D to bolster their position as lower-cost South Korean rivals threaten to steal a slice of their market.

Japanese manufacturers started developing Li-ion batteries for vehicles in the 1990s and have become world leaders. They are hoping to cash in on the explosive growth expected in the market for such batteries. Techno Systems Research Co., a Tokyo-based market research firm, expects that market to be 54 times bigger in 2020 than it was in 2010. By that year, global sales of lithium-ion batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles are expected to reach 38 billion dollars (3 trillion yen).

...Toshiba, Hitachi and other Japanese makers of Li-ion batteries are striving to develop new, more competitive products because they are feeling the heat from hard-charging South Korean manufacturers. South Korean battery makers are trying to grab bigger chunks of the market by undercutting their Japanese rivals.

...One Japanese manufacturer was recently shocked by the prices offered to automakers by a South Korean supplier, which were one-half to one-third that of similar Japanese products. “A Japanese battery maker would lose money selling at such prices,” said an industry executive.

Mitsubishi planning to use Toshiba Li-ion battery in Minicab MiEV

The Nikkei reports that Mitsubishi Motors Corp. (MMC) will use Toshiba Corp.’s lithium-ion batteries for the MMC Minicab MiEV. In July 2010, Toshiba announced that it was working with Mitsubishi Motors to bring its SCiB battery to electric vehicles (EVs).

The Minicab MiEV. Click to enlarge.

The SCiB is Toshiba’s rechargeable lithium-ion battery that combines high levels of safety with a long life and rapid recharging.

Loaded with the new battery, which the carmaker chose for its long life and reasonable price, the Minicab MiEV will be capable of traveling up to 100 kilometers on a full charge.

...Mitsubishi worked with GS Yuasa Corp. to produce lithium-ion batteries for its i-MiEV electric passenger vehicle. The automaker is trying to reduce battery costs—which account for more than half the price of the car—by using different battery suppliers for different car models.

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.

Toshiba to Build Drive Motors for Electrified Vehicles in the U.S. - Wins Major Contract from Ford Motor Company -

PRESS RELEASE:

23 Jun, 2010

Houston, Texas, June 22, 2010 – Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO: 6502) will expand manufacturing capacity at its plant in Houston, Texas for production of high-performance drive motors for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and electric vehicles (EVs).

The production will be Toshiba's first overseas manufacturing base for automotive propulsion motors which are currently produced in Mie Prefecture, Japan. The decision follows the awarding of a major contract to supply drive motors for hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles for Ford Motor Company.

"Toshiba recognizes the importance of localizing production within North America to ensure long term growth and make a commitment to the North American market," said Shinichiro Akiba, President, Toshiba International Corporation, a Houston-based Toshiba Group company that manufactures and markets motors and industrial equipment, and the base for this expansion program.

"We welcome Toshiba's decision to locate this new production in the United States," said Sherif Marakby, Director, Electrification Programs and Engineering, Ford Motor Company. "This key technology will help build U.S. capacity and supply of components to further enable vehicle electrification in the North American market."

Toshiba will begin construction for the expanded capacity in January 2011 in Houston, Texas, on the site of Toshiba International Corporation. Production of the automotive motors would begin in 2012.

As the automotive industry moves toward a new generation of environmentally friendly vehicles including hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles, Toshiba is promoting advances in essential automotive technologies, from dedicated on-board control systems to batteries and Intelligent Traffic Systems. The company's development of key components for HEVs, PHEVs and EVs, including inverters and drive motors, is an essential part of Toshiba's strategy in growing this promising business.

Electrified vehicles are attracting increased attention and growing levels of investment from the automotive industry. Toshiba estimates that the global market for motors for such vehicles, including hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles, will grow from 50 billion yen in fiscal year 2009 to 1 trillion yen in fiscal year 2020.

The Houston location will allow Toshiba to increase its marketing of automotive systems and components in the United States, establish closer contact and collaboration with automobile manufacturers, and allow auto companies to increase local procurement of key components.

Toshiba Proposes Storage-Enhanced Grid Charging Systems for EVs

Toshiba Corporation is proposing the development of an electric vehicle charging system—the “Charge Grid”—that features the deployment of its Li-ion battery storage systems (specifically, its SCiB batteries, in various areas.

The announcement was made at Smart Grid Exhibition 2010, which runs from June 16 to 18, 2010, in Tokyo. With the Charge Grid system, surplus electricity generated by photovoltaic (PV) cells is stored in rechargeable batteries and used, for example, for EV rapid chargers. The batteries are placed in various areas to promote the use of electric vehicles (EVs) and photovoltaic power generation.

The Charge Grid system consists of bidirectional inverters, lithium-ion (Li-ion) rechargeable batteries and rapid chargers. The electricity grid and the Li-ion batteries are connected via the bidirectional inverters. And the rapid chargers are connected to the lines that connect the batteries and the inverters.

Toshiba suggested that among its benefits, the Charge Grid system would eliminate the need to construct high-voltage substation equipment, thereby reducing the cost for rapid charging.

Toshiba said it plans to commercialize the Charge Grid system in a few years. It will sell the system and provide services using the system.

Source: TechOn

Honda Developing Electric Scooter With Help From Toshiba's Li Ion Batteries

The Nikkei is reporting that Honda Motor Co. is developing a battery-electric scooter powered by a Toshiba Li-ion battery, with the release likely to come in December. The prototype is comparable in power and size to a 50 cc scooter. Details are expected on Tuesday.

The electric motorbike will get about 30km [18.6 miles] per charge. Riders will be able to charge it via a home outlet, as well as with a portable charger. The latter method can replenish the battery in roughly 10 minutes.

The battery, to be supplied by Toshiba, has a long life&mash;more than 6,000 charge-discharge cycles—and can be charged at high speed. This is the first time for Honda to use Toshiba batteries. For Toshiba, this represents the first big deal for its vehicle batteries, a product category it hopes to beef up.

Honda, the world’s largest motorbike maker, also reportedly plans to develop a 100cc electric motorbike for Asian countries—its key markets—and other places. Yamaha Motor Co., the second largest motorbike maker, plans to begin selling electric models this summer in Japan and Europe.

Source: Nikkei

Toshiba to Build Another Li Ion Facility in Japan

Here is more good news for EV enthusiasts. The greater the production of EV batteries, the lower the cost will become thus making real EV's affordable to the masses.

From Green Car Congress:

Anticipating strong future demand, Toshiba Corporation will construct a second dedicated production facility for its safe, long-life, rapid charge SCiB battery (earlier post), in the Kashiwazaki Frontier Park, in Kashiwazaki city, Niigata prefecture.

Construction is scheduled to start in April 2010, with a completion date of October 2010. In spring 2011, the plant will start to produce SCiB cells and modules for application in battery-powered electric vehicles (EV). The initial capacity of 500,000 cells a month is expected to rise when the automotive application market takes off in fiscal year 2011, allowing the plant to achieve significant cost reductions through mass production.

The total investment in construction and installation of manufacturing equipment will be in the region of ¥25 billion (US$276 million), and the new facility will have a floor area be approximately 33,000 m².

The market for lithium-ion batteries is expected to see significant demand growth, and to account for a growing share of a lithium-ion battery market scale that is expected to reach sales of approximately ¥2 trillion (US$22 billion) worldwide in fiscal year 2015.

Toshiba anticipates strong demand for SCiB, primarily for application in battery-powered electric vehicles (EV), in a range extending from motorcycles to forklifts through to cars.

Toshiba positions the SCiB as a new business with promising long term growth potential. The company currently produces SCiB for industrial applications at Saku Operations in Nagano prefecture. Establishing a new production facility site will support an operating structure that allows timely responses to increasing demand from the new market for battery-powered electric vehicles (EV) and also for the power storage market that will accompany the coming transition to Smart Grids. The company aims to achieve net sales of ¥200 billion (US$2.2 billion) from the SCiB business by fiscal year 2015.