Ultra-rapid recharging can be done in cold conditions, as low as minus 10°C, in ten minutes, claims Toshiba
Toshiba Corporation announced the development of its next-generation SCiB which uses a new material to double the capacity of the battery anode, according to a press release. But electric vehicle analyst Chris Robinson says costs are still too high and energy density is too low for anything but applications like buses.
The company claims the new battery offers the high-energy density and the ultra-rapid recharging required for automotive applications, giving a compact electric vehicle (EV) a drive range of 320km after only six minutes of ultra-rapid recharging—three times the distance possible with current lithium-ion batteries.
Robinson, energy storage analyst with Lux Research out of Boston, Mass. says he does not consider Toshiba’s announcement important because the cells are still likely more expensive on a dollar per kWh basis and less energy dense than conventional Li-ion available today, making them unsuitable for an EV.
“While Toshiba has done better with their SCiB batteries than most other LTO (lithium–titanate) anode developers, high costs and poor energy density have limited its uses to heavy-duty transportation and high-power, durable stationary storage systems,” Robinson said in an email.
“However, it is a promising cell for applications like electric buses, who look to increase up-time and may be willing to sacrifice a bit of range for faster-charging batteries.
The current SCiB employs a lithium titanium oxide anode, and is known for excellent operating characteristics in respect of safety, long life and rapid charging, according to Toshiba.
It has found wide use in vehicles and industrial and infrastructure applications, including automobiles, buses, railroad cars, elevators and power plants. The high energy density of the battery, and its rapid recharging, have made important contributions to enhancing the convenience and promoting the spread of EV.
Toshiba developed a proprietary method for synthesizing and disarranging crystals of titanium niobium oxide and storing lithium ions more efficiently in the crystal structure. The anode of the next-generation SCiB realized through this approach has double times the capacity of the anode of current lithium-ion batteries, the company claims.
“We are very excited by the potential of the new titanium niobium oxide anode and the next-generation SCiB,” said Dr. Osamu Hori, Director of Corporate Research & Development Center at Toshiba Corporation.
Toshiba says that rigorous testing of a 50Ah prototype of the new battery has confirmed that it retains the long life cycle, low-temperature operation, excellent safety and rapid recharging characteristics of the current SCiB. The energy density by volume of battery is twice that of the current SCiB.
“Rather than an incremental improvement, this is a game changing advance that will make a significant difference to the range and performance of EV. We will continue to improve the battery’s performance and aim to put the next-generation SCiB into practical application in fiscal year 2019.”
The next-generation SCiB maintains over 90 per cent of its initial capacity after being put through 5,000 charge/discharge cycles, according to Toshiba, and ultra-rapid recharging can be done in cold conditions, with temperatures as low as minus 10°C, in only ten minutes.
Toshiba will continue to develop higher energy density batteries that extend the range of EVs and support ultra-rapid recharging, and aims to commercialize the next-generation SCiBTM in fiscal year 2019.