In an interview with the Financial Times, Shoshi Kawatsu, general manager of Toshiba’s Super Charge Battery (SCiB) division, said that the company expects to sign up about five car companies as customers for its new SCiB lithium-ion battery (earlier post).
Kawatsu also said that Toshiba was preparing for the possible manufacturing of the batteries in the US and Europe, and would make a decision on whether to go ahead in 2011, depending on market growth and the needs of its customers.
In October, Toshiba announced that it will construct a second dedicated production facility in Japan for the SCiB battery. 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. (Earlier post.)
In February, Volkswagen AG and Toshiba signed a letter of intent to cooperate for the development of electric drive units and the accompanying power electronics for Volkswagen’s planned New Small Family. Furthermore, Volkswagen and Toshiba are planning the development of battery systems with a high specific energy density for the next generation of electric vehicles. (Earlier post.)
Toshiba uses a lithium titanate (LTO) material in its anode for improved safety and support for fast recharge. An LTO anode supports high rate capabilities and fast charge even at low temperatures. (Earlier post.)