Toshiba Corp. (Japan) reported that it has developed a light and thin prototype lithium-ion (Li-Ion) battery that recharges 80% of capacity in just one minute, roughly 60 times faster than typical Li-Ion batteries. The battery uses specially engineered particles less than 100 nm across that store vast amounts of lithium ions, without causing any deterioration in its electrodes. This allows a full recharge to be achieved in less than 10 minutes.
The new battery measures 62 mm x 35 mm x 3.8 mm. It also has a long life, losing only 1% of capacity after 1,000 cycles of discharging and recharging, and can operate at temperatures as low as -40 °C (-40 °F).
Toshiba will put the new battery to commercial products in 2006. Initial applications will be in the automotive and industrial sectors; the technology may also be used as an alternative power source for hybrid gasoline-electric cars.
