Toyota, University of Tohoku improve lithium-ion batteries ten-fold (in the lab)
2009 Toyota FT-EV Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery
Toyota and the University of Tohoku have announced the development of a new technology that is able to boost the capacity of lithium-ion batteries. What's this new improvement all about? Current lithium-ion batteries are usually made from a polycrystalline form of lithium cobalt oxide that are connected with grains of graphite. The newly-developed batteries use a less graphite, just a single crystal. This frees more room for the storage of the ions that create the electrical charge. According to Toyota spokesman Paul Nolasco, the improvement in storage is so large, that it can store up to 10 times more ions than current batteries which could result in a 10x increase in range. However, don't expect this breakthrough to result in amazing numbers form the plug-in Prius right away: Toyota says the technology needs at least a decade to come to fruition.
Gallery: 2009 Toyota FT-EV Concept
[Source: Automotive news (subs. req'd)]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
meme 6:18PM (8/20/2009)
I'm baffled by what they're trying to say. If you read the article, the tech they achieved is monocrystaline LiCoO2 instead of polycrystaline. So how does that let them use less graphite (i.e., the anode)? Increasing the lithium capacity of the anode means more lithium needs to be able to move back and forth, not less. Or when they mention graphite, are they talking about the carbon binder holding together grains of LiCoO2 in the cathode? And also, how is improving just the cathode supposed to increase the capacity of the cell tenfold? I can't picture how just reducing the binder is supposed to increase the capacity of even the cathode tenfold, let alone the whole cell.
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Nixon 7:52PM (8/20/2009)
Yea! What HE Said! ^^^^ Give 'em the beans, meme!!
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(Disclaimer: I have no idea what meme is talking about. Went right over my head.)
But to the bottom line: Is this just more Toyota FUD aimed at convincing potential Prius buyers to buy today, and not to wait for electric cars to show up in the 2010-2012 timeframe? It sure sounds like more of that same game to me!
XYZ 6:13PM (8/20/2009)
Yeah, ..."Toyota says the technology needs at least a decade to come to fruition."
They keep the technology in their drawers until there is no other way ripping off the consumer / taxpayer. They have invested just too much in their old technology and it has to pay off first. I am fed up with this. Herewith I refuse to buy any ICE vehicle and ask you guys to do the same.
And, hey newbie, before you start bubbling about coal plants, efficiency, range anxiety, etc., please spare us those comments and do some reading first. This forum is a good starting point.
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Lad 10:31PM (8/20/2009)
I'm with ya' on this! Getting tired of waiting for all this vapor to turn into rain on the plain!
You know the folks at Toyota have the technology to go BEV right now; however, they, like so many of the other car makers are following the script set up by their lobbying and coordinating group, The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers( The AAM). GM, Ford, Chrysler(Fiat), BMW, Mercedes, and Toyota, to name a few, are all cash-paying members. But, Nissan and Renault are not. I look for the AAM to slow down the introduction of BEVs as long as they can. But, I have hope that Nissan and Renault will push them into the market with a sucessful "Leaf" and whatever BEV the Renault company produces.
Dave 11:50PM (8/20/2009)
Just like fuel cells.
They can build em. The problem is making them affordable.
I wish them the best of luck in progressing towards a commercial product.
XYZ 10:50PM (8/21/2009)
@Dave
No there is a difference: They would LOVE to make fool cells affordable because then they can keep us milking. With BEV's they don't want to sell them because it means revenue loss since they are so simple to build and maintain.
Dave 8:27AM (8/22/2009)
"@Dave
No there is a difference: They would LOVE to make fool cells affordable because then they can keep us milking. With BEV's they don't want to sell them because it means revenue loss since they are so simple to build and maintain."
I don't know where you live, but here in New England, modern cars are usually destroyed by road salt, potholes, and accidents long before their drivetrains die.
XYZ 6:53PM (8/22/2009)
The fact is that a BEV has far less components to than an ICE vehicle, thus less parts to manufacture, to sell and things that can break. If it is not there, they (usually) can't sell it or fix it. Means: their profit will go down. Plus all the knowledge gained over many, many years is going down the drain as well. Every little Chinese toymaker can start making cars and creating competition.
Randy S 9:52PM (8/20/2009)
I find this highly doubtfull. As if all that was required to increase the capacity of the same component elements was simply to rearrange the structure of the material... I think this would have been figured out by someone over the past 20 years. Gimme a break. And if they did have this amazing discovery why the hell would it take another ten years to commercialize it. It makes no sense.The amount of carbon black and binder added to the cathode is very small totalling less than 10 wt% to increase the electron conductivity, so maybe they're saying they have improved the electron conductivity of the CoO2 such that they don't need the added carbon anymore, and thereby increasing the capacity of the cathode by 10% not 10 times.
Or maybe the good folks at Toyota have been hanging out with Dick Weir, smoking a little green in Vegas and dreaming of the day.... in just ten more years.... look out world... ground breaking... it's gonna be great... I can see it now...
Yeah right
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Randy S 10:04PM (8/20/2009)
Monocrystalline
Polycrystalline
Hydroponiccrystalline
Never mind the Nissan "Leaf", I'm gonna wait 10 years for the Toyota "Bud"
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Posterboy 1:55AM (8/21/2009)
So... this would mean an EV with a 1000 mile range is possible within 10 years? Kinda puts the slightly shrunken fuel cell story to shame I'd say. If this discovery can be scaled to a vehicle battery size application, even at 1/2 the claim (ie 5x more efficient), I'd venture that this discovery could be the beginning of the end of the "oil age". Kudos to those who figured this out (Toyota... go figure. You'd think the American auto companies would get tired of Japanese automakers making them look like fools)
Anyhoo, this article was a little short on details to me so I dug up a link from last year about a similar concept where a Korean University replaced the graphite with silicon which had a little bit more clear explanation imo.
http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/40294/113/
and a better explanation of what they actually did: (sorry Xavier)
http://www.allcarselectric.com/blog/1034384_toyota-said-to-achieve-10-fold-lithium-ion-battery-breakthrough
As for the 10 year thing, apparently they don't actually have the ability to create a 10 fold increase today, they have some current unlisted improvement as of today, and a roadmap of how to get to a 10 fold improvement within 10 years. In otherwords, Toyota isn't supressiong anything atm, they are merely "pre-announcing" what they think that they are capable of.
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B 4:22AM (8/21/2009)
Air fueled lithium batteries have even bigger potential. The important part is EVs doesn't need that dramatic (10x or so) increase in capability to appeal mass market. Good enough technology is available today, it's just prices which need to go lower. If cost of batteries could be halved then EV affordability would increase dramatically. A battery pack is most expensive part of electric vehicle.
Felipe 10:49AM (8/21/2009)
if 10x more storage means 600 miles or more of autonomy... you hit golden and bury fuel cells...
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Dave 4:34PM (8/21/2009)
Only one problem ... It will take several days to recharge from empty.
Sebastian 9:38AM (8/23/2009)
If today's "range average" is 160 km, a 10X increase would result in a new range of... 1600 km!! That would be awesome even by ICE standards. As for charging, with such a range, you would have to do it once a month. Fast charging once a month is completely doable.
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