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Originally Posted by Bugmenot
I thought Li-Ion is more unstable than Ni-Mh, remember the Dell Battery recall from Sony? If they are not manufactured correctly, it can be very dangerous because of their chemical composition. Though their advantage is higher energy density and weight.
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I guess Toyota already has solutions to deal with these issues, otherwise its CEO would not speak it out so clearly. Possibly we will see Li-Ion batteries to be tested in the low volume LS600hL coming in June.
Businessweek vs. Toyota CEO Watanabe:
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Will Toyota use Lithium-Ion batteries in the next generation hybrids?
We will change the battery from nickel hydride to the lithium battery, and therefore we would like to reduce the size of the motors and inverters by half, so the overall size of the hybrid system can be reduced by half.
There's been a lot of discussion lately over how long it will take Li-ions that are safe and durable for autos. Will the batteries be ready in time?
Yes,
I believe we can develop this battery in time. Occasionally I visit the site where the development is going on to see the trial model.
But were you worried by Sony's problems last year when Li-Ions in laptops were reportedly catching fire?
Of course, we're experimenting on the problem that Sony encountered last year. We are making sure that the problem can be avoided. Automobiles are used in different conditions. For example, cars are used in temperatures from -20 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius and are constantly exposed to high vibrations. It's extremely difficult to build those systems for automobiles compared with cell phones which are used in relatively stable environments. These difficulties must be reflected in the design.
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