In typical Japanese style, the country has joined forces to forge a single standard for the next generation lithium-ion battery.  It’s an attempt to position Japanese companies to get there first with the best and cheapest technology in competition with the European and (assuming there are any left) the American car companies.   Here’s a report:

Japanese auto and battery makers join hands for common standards for next generation auto batteries news

21 July 2008

Acording to the Nikkei business daily rival Japanses automakers Toyota Motor and Nissan Motor Co  will work with Matsushita Electric Industrial Co and other Japanese companies to set up common standards for lithium-ion batteries being developed to power next-generation cars.

Earlier in May Toyota, which leads the industry with its gas-electric hybrid Prius and Matsushita had announced a joint venture, Panasonic EV Energy Co, to set up two plants to make batteries for environment-friendly gas-electric hybrid vehicles.

Their venture aims to increase production of nickel-metal hydride batteries while aiming to start mass production of next-generation lithium-ion batteries.

Apart from Toyota’s alliance with Matsushita, other auto makers in alliance to develop lithium-ion batteries include Nissan with NEC Corp group and Mitsubishi Motors with G S Yuasa Corp.

Lithium-ion batteries, commonly used in laptop computers and mobile phones, are seen as a key component to improving the performance of pure electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid cars  as they are said to produce more power and are smaller than nickel-metal hydride batteries, which are now used the Prius.

Toyota says the lithium-ion batteries may be used in plug-in hybrids, which can be recharged from a home electrical outlet.

The report credits the initiaitive for setting up a common global standard for lithium-ion batteries to an affiliate organisation of the Japanese ministry of economy, trade and industry, that brings together nine automonbile firms, six battery makers and utility Tokyo Electric Power Co to draft the standards that include testing and charging methods, vehicle safety and other areas.

The group aims to push for its specifications to be adopted by the International Organisation for Standardisation as the global standard for lithium-ion batteries.

A common standard would help battery makers cut development costs and enable Japanese automakers gain an edge over their US and European rivals who are in a race to introduce zero emission hybrids as consumer preference steadily shifts to greener vehicles against a backdrop of rising fuel prices.

Tags: peak oil energy investments

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 1st, 2008 at 1:24 pm and is filed under Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile, SA (SQM)., batteries, electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.