Sporkman
December 12th, 2007, 07:30 PM
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071212/ap_on_hi_te/techbit_japan_new_battery_2
Toshiba to ship new rechargeable battery
By YURI KAGEYAMA, AP Business Writer 39 minutes ago
TOKYO - Toshiba plans to make a quick-charging new battery for forklifts, construction machinery and other industrial use.
Toshiba Corp.'s Super Charge ion Battery, to start shipping in March, can recharge to 90 percent of its full capacity in less than five minutes, Toshiba spokeswoman Hiroko Mochida said.
Toshiba, a newcomer in rechargeable batteries, said the new lithium-ion battery, with a life span of 10 years, could be used in hybrid and electric cars by 2010, Mochida said.
Battery innovations are expected to be key in making hybrid vehicles more widespread, because lighter and easier-to-recharge batteries will make it easier to offer variety among hybrids. And they will allow vehicles to travel farther on electricity.
"This is a truly innovative battery," said Toshiba Corporate Vice President Toshiharu Watanabe.
The new battery will first be used in electric bicycles, motorcycles, forklifts and construction machinery. It can work in temperatures as low as minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit.
Most lithium-ion batteries in use now, such as those in laptop computers, require hours to recharge to full capacity, with the fastest ones requiring about half an hour.
Toshiba also said its new battery is unlikely to rupture or catching fire, problems that have beset some lithium-ion batteries used in laptops.
The Tokyo-based electronics maker expects global sales of the new fast-charging battery to reach $893.7 million by fiscal 2015.
Toshiba to ship new rechargeable battery
By YURI KAGEYAMA, AP Business Writer 39 minutes ago
TOKYO - Toshiba plans to make a quick-charging new battery for forklifts, construction machinery and other industrial use.
Toshiba Corp.'s Super Charge ion Battery, to start shipping in March, can recharge to 90 percent of its full capacity in less than five minutes, Toshiba spokeswoman Hiroko Mochida said.
Toshiba, a newcomer in rechargeable batteries, said the new lithium-ion battery, with a life span of 10 years, could be used in hybrid and electric cars by 2010, Mochida said.
Battery innovations are expected to be key in making hybrid vehicles more widespread, because lighter and easier-to-recharge batteries will make it easier to offer variety among hybrids. And they will allow vehicles to travel farther on electricity.
"This is a truly innovative battery," said Toshiba Corporate Vice President Toshiharu Watanabe.
The new battery will first be used in electric bicycles, motorcycles, forklifts and construction machinery. It can work in temperatures as low as minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit.
Most lithium-ion batteries in use now, such as those in laptop computers, require hours to recharge to full capacity, with the fastest ones requiring about half an hour.
Toshiba also said its new battery is unlikely to rupture or catching fire, problems that have beset some lithium-ion batteries used in laptops.
The Tokyo-based electronics maker expects global sales of the new fast-charging battery to reach $893.7 million by fiscal 2015.