Toyota plans to increase lithium-ion car battery output

Toyota Motor Corp. is planning to increase production of lithium-ion batteries six-fold as the automaker prepares to use them in its flagship Prius gasoline-electric hybrid cars, the Nikkei Business Daily reported on May 19.
Currently, most of Toyota’s hybrid vehicles use nickel-metal hydride batteries but the automaker is planning to make more cars with lithium-ion batteries. These cars can be made smaller and lighter, thus enhancing fuel economy, the Nikkei said without citing sources.
Toyota and Panasonic Corp. are set to build a new production line at a cost of about 20 billion yen (US$204 million). Their joint venture will increase lithium-ion battery output capacity to 200,000 units a year.
“Taking into consideration the demand for lithium-ion batteries, (the joint venture) is considering producing them at its Omori plant,” Toyota spokesman Ryo Sakai told Reuters.
He declined to comment on whether the next generation Prius would use a lithium ion-battery.
Toyota said last month it had sold more than 5 million gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles as of the end of March since they first went on sale in 1997.
Its Prius series accounted for about 70% of that, making it the most popular hybrid model in the automotive industry.
Globally, Toyota sold 1.2 million hybrid vehicles in 2012, the first time it sold more than 1 million hybrids in a single year.
(May 19, 2013)