Toyota To Form Battery R & D Unit

Toyota is reportedly working on the next-generation of hybrid batteries, which will enable a vehicle to travel 50 miles on a single charge. The new technology could be based on a zinc-air formulation, but Toyota has not confirmed this research direction yet. Zinc-air batteries are currently used to power very small devices, like hearing aids.

Toyota hopes to have the new battery ready for production by 2020. That time line coincides with the company's goal of having a hybrid vehicle in each of its model lines.

Continued improvement in battery technology is part of the company's strategy to retain its position as an automotive hybrid technology leader. To direct its research and development, the company will form a new battery technology group later in 2008.

As an intermediate step, Toyota has announced that it plans to incorporate Li-ion batteries in its hybrid vehicles in 2009 or 2010. Currently, Toyota uses nickel-metal hydride batteries in its electric hybrid vehicles. The charge-carrying capacity of Li-ion batteries is much greater, however the Li-ion technology has been dogged by safety issues, including overheating and catastrophic failures.

None of the automakers that plan to use Li-ion cells has successfully addressed the issue of battery ownership and replacement costs. Mercedes-Benz announced that it will become the first auto manufacturer to use Li-ion batteries in a production vehicle. The company did not specifically address battery ownership in its announcement.

The new M-B S400 diesel-electric hybrid will feature a Li-ion battery pack that is integrated into the vehicle's climate control system to keep the batteries operating in a temperature range between 60° F and 95°F. Uncontrolled rises in temperature are though to encourage the breakdown of a barrier membrane within a Li-ion cell, which results in catastrophic failure and may also lead to battery explosions. The issue of Li-ion safety is leading manufacturers to develop new technologies designed to improve the operational safety of the cells without substantially increasing the cost.