Nissan EV Battery With Double Current Capacity, Same Cost May Be Ready by 2015
By Scott Doggett November 30, 2009
Nissan Motor Co. is developing a lithium-ion battery for electric vehicles that can store electricity at double the current capacity, the Nikkei newspaper reported, without saying where it got the information.
Nissan aims to equip electric cars with the battery by 2015, the Japanese paper reported.
The new battery will be able to power an electric vehicle for 300 kilometers (186 miles) on a single charge, about twice the distance currently possible, the newspaper said.
The report states that Nissan plans to increase the power by improving the positive electrode, specifically using nickel and cobalt, as well as manganese as its main materials.
The company reportedly anticipates the new batteries to cost around the same as the conventional Li-ion batteries as they contains only a small amount of cobalt, a relatively expensive metal.
Nissan reportedly intends to roll out the EVs with these batteries as early as in 2015.
That Nissan is working on EV batteries isn't news. But that the company's executives believe Nissan can make them at the same cost of today's Li-ion batteries is news.
The report follows a recent announcement by Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn that the company intends to make rechargeable batteries for EVs a "core business" in light of the bright future of alternatively fueled vehicles, EVs, and plug-in hybrid EVs.
Nissan plans to begin sales of its first EV, the Leaf (pictured), in Japan, the United States and Europe before the end of 2010. The five-seat model powered by Li-ion batteries can travel up to 160 km on one full charge.
Nissan currently manufactures Li-ion batteries at Automotive Energy Supply Corporation, its joint venture with NEC Corporation.
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