Japanese auto and electronics companies have stepped up battery development

According to the "Nihon Keizai Shimbun" report, Japanese auto and electronics companies have increased investment in R&D, improved battery performance, and prepared for the large-scale application of batteries in smart grids and other fields in the future to gain market dominance.

Toyota Motor, Tokyo Institute of Technology, and High Energy Accelerator Research Institute have developed batteries using novel compounds. The battery is an "all-solid battery" that does not use flammable liquids. No fire-proof materials are required. The cost can be greatly reduced. At the same time, it can be easily processed and the capacity can be increased several times. The continuous travel distance of small electric vehicles using the battery can be increased from the current 200 kilometers to 1000 kilometers. It is expected that the battery will be put into use from 2015 to 2020.

Mazda and Hiroshima University have developed electrode materials that have a 1.8-fold increase in capacity compared with the current, and the same-capacity battery can be reduced by half in weight, which will double the distance traveled by electric vehicles. It is expected that the battery can be put into use within 5 years.

NEC has developed a lithium battery using manganese as a raw material, and the price is only equivalent to 1/20 of that of cobalt-based lithium batteries. The battery can reduce heat dissipation by adjusting the electrolyte composition, thus achieving 20,000 repeated charge and discharge times. The battery performance will be further improved, with a service life of up to 20 years, and it is expected to be put into use after 5 years.

In addition to electric vehicles, the need for batteries can also be applied to smart grids and smart homes. Japan’s IBM is implementing the Eco City project in Sendai City, and Fujitsu also recommends building an Eco City in Fukushima Prefecture. The foundation of building an eco-city is to store renewable energies such as solar energy and ensure stable supply of electricity.