Panasonic Develops Longer Lasting Green Batteries

Digilifes News - Panasonic has developed more powerful batteries for use in everything from laptop computers to electric vehicles, the Japanese electronics maker annouced. The New Lithium-ion batteries are 20 percent to 30 percent more powerful than current batteries, according to the company.

They can raise the cruising range of electric vehicles on a single charge from 200 kilometers to about 270 kilometers, it said. Major motor-vehicle manufacturers around the world are developing electric and plug-in vehicles, and this has intensified the race to produce better lithium-ion batteries.

Panasonic has a joint benture with Toyota which supplies batteries for plug-in and hybrid cars, including the Prius.But Panasonic said it was in talks with about 10 motor-vehicle manufacturers to supply the new battery, underlining the break-down of such tie-ups involving batteries for new, environmentally-friendly green vehicles. Panasonic has just taken majority control of Japanese rival Sanyo Electric, which boasts lithium-ion battery technology. Sanyo supplies batteries to Volkswagen of Germany.

With fears growing about global warming, Panasonic is banking on the efforts of governments, including the US and Europe, to curb emissions. The new government of Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has promised to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent from 1990 levels by 2020. Panasonic said it had developed better technology to prevent overheating, a common problem with lithium-ion batteries.

Panasonic said it had developed more powerful and durable fuel cell system, a more futuristic source of energy. One type of the new batteries will go into mass production in the fiscal year ending March 2012, while another type will go into production the following year.Panasonic hoped to combine the fuel cell with lithium-ion batteries for creating and storinf energy outdoors, and will start testing the technology in the fiscal year ending March 2012.