The Battle Is On – Japanese And US Automakers Push Toward Standardization For EV & PHEV Batteries

Media reports have revealed that Toyota Motor Corp., Nissan Motor Co., Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. and other major Japanese companies will work together to develop common standards for automotive lithium-ion batteries to power electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

Led by an organization affiliated with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, nine car and motorcycle makers, six battery makers, as well as the Tokyo Electric Power Co. utility, will work on a draft of the standards covering testing and charging methods, vehicle safety and other areas. The group intends to present its specifications to the International Organization for Standardization in the hopes of creating a global standard for lithium-ion batteries.

Japanese auto and battery makers are working to set international technical standards for lithium-ion batteries in the hopes that it will give the companies an advantage over their competitors in the United States and Europe. For instance, American car companies are working on their own plans for developing battery standards. General Motors Corp. (GM), Ford Motor and Chrysler are participating in joint research on batteries and hydrogen fuel cells through the private United States Council for Automotive Research (USCAR).

Meanwhile, GM announced that it has joined with more than 30 utility companies across the U.S. to help work out electricity issues that will crop up when it rolls out new electric vehicles in a little more than two years. GM said the consortium will address everything from policy issues including tax incentives for purchasing the vehicles to whether the electric generation system can handle the increased power demand.