Japan Storage Battery Co. Develops High-Performance Lithium Ion Battery

11/26/96

Nikkei English News has reported that Japan Storage Battery Co. developed a high-performance lithium ion battery for use in electric vehicles. The company says the new battery can power a passenger vehicle for a distance that exceeds the industry's highest standard of 300 kilometers per charge. The new battery has an energy density of 133 watts per kilogram, and a storage capacity of 100 ampere-hours. It weighs only 2.7 kilograms.

The new battery has a lower ignition point for the battery electrolyte and contains pole plates coated with a chemical substance that increases thermostability and reduces the likelihood of an exothermic reaction should the vehicle be involved in an accident. The company's goal is to put the new battery into commercial competition with nickel-hydride and lead storage batteries by the year 2001.

Paul Dever -- The Auto Channel