Toshiba to build second plant for automotive lithium batteries
Toshiba, like most other battery manufacturers, has decided that the market for automotive grade lithium ion cells is going to be huge in the next decade. As a result it has decided to build a second factory dedicated to automotive battery production in Kashiwazaki, Japan. The new 355,000-square foot plant will cost about $274 million and construction is expected to start in April of next year with production scheduled to start about one year after that.
The plant will build Toshiba's SCiB cells which are claimed to have better thermal stability than traditional lithium cells while also having a much higher charge cycle life. The SCiB are rated for 6,000 charge cycles and can support rapid charging in 30 minutes. No automakers have publicly announced plans to use the cells, but Toshiba likely has someone lined up if it is committing to a second plant already.
[Source: Toshiba]
press release
Toshiba to Build a Second SCiB Production Facility
-The new production facility to be set up at Kashiwazaki city, in Niigata Prefecture-
TOKYO-Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO:6502) today announced that in anticipation of strong future demand, it will construct a second dedicated production facility for its safe, long-life, rapid charge SCiB battery, in the Kashiwazaki Frontier Park, in Kashiwazaki city, Niigata prefecture.
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 yen1 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, and has decided to establish a second production facility for SCiB.
Toshiba selected Kashiwazaki because of the city's commitment to realizing a low-carbon society by promoting electric vehicles (EV) and attracting EV-related businesses. The city is recognized as a model area for the "EV and plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHV) town," promoted by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in order to encourage adoption of EV and PHV. The prefecture and city's subsidy program also influenced Toshiba in selecting the site.
The total investment in construction and installation of manufacturing equipment will be in the region of 25 billion yen, and the new facility will have a floor area be approximately 33,000m2. 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.
SCiB is Toshiba's breakthrough rechargeable battery that offers excellent safety, long-life and rapid charge. 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 yen from the SCiB business by fiscal year 2015.
Outline of New Production Facility
- Name of the facility: Kashiwazaki Operations
- Location: Kashiwazaki Frontier Park, in Kashiwazaki city in Niigata prefecture.
- Building Area: approx. 33,000m2
- Start Construction: April 2010 (plan)
- Completion of Building: October 2010 (plan)
- Start Production: Spring 2011(plan)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Boyprodigy1 6:07PM (10/29/2009)
I seriously can't believe that I have friends who still look at me like I'm crazy when I tell them that electric vehicles are coming....
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Randy S 7:28PM (10/29/2009)
Well next time you tell them, try not to do it while running around in the rain wearing only underwear, yelling the electric cars are coming!.... the electric cars are coming!....
Mark Kiernan 7:31AM (10/30/2009)
Point them to this site and ask them to read it for a few days and they will get the idea.
Dan Frederiksen 7:16PM (10/29/2009)
6000 cycles (to whatever capacity is left at that time) is very nice but last I checked these cells have rather poor energy density. around 60Wh/kg. compared to 100+ for iron phosphate and around 200 for laptop cells.
so I'm guessing these are intended for very short EV range hybrids like the prius and not actually for EVs
I'm not a fan
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Chris M 3:27AM (10/30/2009)
Correct, they aren't a good choice for long range EVs, but are excellent for hybrids and good for "short range" plug-in hybrids. If the price drops low enough, they would also be good for NEV class vehicles, having better energy density and longer lifespan than lead acid batteries.
Glock23 10:19AM (10/30/2009)
"but are excellent for hybrids and good for "short range" plug-in hybrids."
We are told how wonderful plug-in's for "short range" are going to be but the reality is until the range can become comparable to traditional cars, only hard core tech heads and tree huggers are going to care. The majority of mainstream buyers will not want to feel like they are that limited with the range on their vehicle.
Serge 10:48AM (10/30/2009)
These batteries have very high power capacity (3,900 W/kg), so another very good application is to replace "regular" car batteries. Wouldn't it be lovely if a car battery weighed 10 pounds instead of 40?
Dan Frederiksen 11:38AM (10/30/2009)
Glock23, you are completely out of touch. plugin implies it's a series hybrid meaning it has a backup combustion engine generator so you can go any range if you need to. that's the beauty of the so called range extended EV. for the most part it's the beauty of battery electric drive and then when you need unlimited range it can do that too.
Serge, quite true but better still to have a plugin hybrid that needs no 'car battery'
3PeaceSweet 8:56AM (10/30/2009)
Fast charge, high power batteries are ideal for use in short range PHEV's which is the best application of battery technology to achive highest fuel savings per capacity, minimal extra cost without requiring and new infrastrucutre but able to make use of it as it develops (public charging at regular parking places as well as future fast charge)
Also Japan is adding quater of a million hybrids to its roads this year, all of which could be upgraded with 5kWh batteries at a cost of around $3k into PHEV-15
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Andy 3:42AM (11/01/2009)
Fast charge batteries will make great short range city runaround BEV's.
Just put a fast charger at the same frequency as gas stations. You will never have to worry about getting home.
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