Toyota Planning EV Battery With Four Times More Power
The batteries in electric vehicles are one of the biggest reason for range anxiety, but new technology from Toyota could put those fears out of mind, providing three, four or even five times more power than current lithium ion batteries.
Toyota is targeting a launch in the year 2020 for solid state batteries in cars. Solid state batteries are considered more compact and more efficient, allowing a higher voltage to be packed into a smaller package thanks to the use of a solid electrolyte instead of the liquid one used in current lithium ion batteries. Compared to current lithium-ion batteries, they can deliver three to four times more power.
Furthermore, following the use of a solid-state battery, Toyota plans to release a lithium air battery, which will prove to be even more powerful than solid-state batteries. Lithium air batteries are lighter and more energy dense, due to the replacement of current lithium cathodes, with ones that interact with oxygen. They are expected to offer a five-fold improvement in power compared to the current lithium-ion units.
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Both kinds of batteries are seen as the future of EVs thanks to the weight savings, and lower internal resistance, making for quicker charges. With a power density that is just 1/50th of gasoline, current lithium ion powered EVs are having a hard time in the market, and are a niche product.
With these new solid state batteries and lithium air batteries, the power density will be much closer to what is offered by gasoline.
[Source: Automotive News]
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Sami has an unquenchable thirst for car knowledge and has been at AutoGuide for the past six years. He has a degree in journalism and media studies from the University of Guelph-Humber in Toronto and has won multiple journalism awards from the Automotive Journalist Association of Canada. Sami is also on the jury for the World Car Awards.
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Nice to see progress, would also note that energy density parity with gasoline isn't necessary, due to the much higher efficiency of electric drive (less waste heat, regenerative braking etc).