Toshiba Touts Ultra-Fast-Charging Battery

Japan’s Toshiba Corp. says its next-generation SCiB lithium-ion battery uses a new material that doubles the anode capacity to allow for much faster recharging times.

A 32-kWh battery with the titanium-niobium-oxide anode could be recharged within six minutes to provide a 200-mile range in a compact electric vehicle, Toshiba claims. Current lithium-ion chemistries with graphite-based anodes take about three times as long to recharge to the same level.

The upgraded anode is more resistant to cell degradation, enabling the battery to retain 90% of initial capacity after 5,000 cycles. The design also improves performance in cold weather, with an estimated recharge time of 10 minutes at 14˚ F.

Toshiba says it has developed a proprietary method for synthesizing and disarranging titanium-niobium crystals and storing lithium-ions more efficiently in the crystal. The company aims to launch commercial applications in 2019.

Toshiba launched its first-generation SCiB (super charge ion battery) in 2008. That system powers Honda’s Fit EV.