Lost In Translation: About That Miracle 600 Mile Battery...

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

Yesterday, we told you about that miracle battery, Toyota allegedly has developed. The Nikkei [sub] said it will double the range of an EV. The Tokyo wire quoted researchers as saying that they “may also be able to achieve a driving range of between 500km and 1,000km” (310 to 620 miles), You possibly noticed the skeptical tone when we reported on the report . As it turns out, the Nikkei was a bit – exuberant.

Checking in with Toyota this morning, we learn that Toyota’s researchers indeed have a new Sodium-Ion battery technology. However, research into this technology is in its very, very early stages.

A group of Toyota researchers (M. Nose, H. Nakayama, K. Nobuhara, S. Nakanishi, and H. Iba) presented a paper titled “Novel Cathode Materials of Sodium-Containing Metal Phosphates as Highly Voltage Sodium-Ion Batteries” at a symposium in Honolulu. After two of the researchers, Nakanishi-san, and Iba-san were interviewed by the Nikkei, some finer, but crucial points were either misunderstood or lost in translation.

Instead of targeting 2020 as the date of commercial release of the battery, the researchers think that commercialization can take anywhere between 10 to 20 years – if commercialization indeed turns out to be viable.

The researchers confirm that the new battery has the potential to extend driving range. However, they did not say, “We may also be able to achieve a driving range of between 500km and 1,000km.” What they said was that to be commercially viable, a next-generation battery should give an EV that range or one exceeding it. With that in mind, they are pushing forward with their research.

Bottom line: Take that sodium story with a big grain of salt.

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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  • El scotto El scotto on Nov 15, 2012

    It's Toyota, I wouldn't bet against them. 20 years ago if you told people that Toyota would build a mainstream hybrid people would have said "you so crazy". How big is their R&D budget for this and a whole bunch of other crazy stuff that won't bear fruition? The stuff that will be commercially viable will be marketed like crazy.

  • Blowfish Blowfish on Nov 15, 2012

    With our new Prius Apollo, drivers can now harness the energy of the Sun.” yes how much current can u harness? 150 milli amp or 10 amp/hr both are doing the same job. several yrs ago I was pretty naive to think one of these small panel 15 X 4 inches panel could re-charge a dead batt. well is going to adequately re-charge my night light thats about all. Not even enuf juice to power up the car radio system. And Tesla folks were claiming to build roadside quick charging stn to refill teslas' batt in as much time u take a pee pee, buy a fresh ground starbucks latte or check your stock online. Perhaps this is going to happen by 2045.

    • Luke42 Luke42 on Nov 16, 2012

      The Tesla roadside stations are supposed to deliver 100kw. Do you have any frame of reference for how much power this is? I've crawled through multi-megawatt computing facilities, and personally flipped the breaker on groups of circuits that are that big. It would take well over a hundred thousand of your 150 milliamp panels to deliver that kind of power. But that kind of power can easily be delivered. One tidbit that you may be missing is that the PV systems on the Tesla stations are grid tied. The panels just generate the average amount of energy that Tesla guesses will be used by their customers and sells it to the electric company. When a vehicle pulls up to the station, they buy back that energy - and bloody fast. It's not the same thing as what you were doing with your battery and panel, but most environmentalists seem to think it counts.

  • Kwik_Shift Brands that were considered from China include BYD, Dayun, Great Wall Motors, Maxus, Nio, Omoda/Chery, Seres, XPeng, and Zeekr. KG Mobility from South Korea also made the list of candidates.That's a lot of car companies from there ready to head here.
  • Analoggrotto Clean sweep and unanimous victory for the world affluence engine of 22nd century : Hyundai/Kia/Genesis. Toyota and Lexus, for 120 years of history have not been able to capture the zenith superlative status of Hyundai Motor Corporation the most awarded, decorated and revered automotive corporation in the history of historical. Featuring best ever, first ever and greatest ever e-ATPs the Hyundai Genesis Kia lineup is posed to become the envy of every country club, ivy league college and fortune 500 corporation in the world. I've been taking a roadtrip in my loaner Elantra N, visiting colleges from east to west, elite universities of higher learning to inspect their parking lots. WHat did I find? Leagues of Genesis models, outnumbering Lexus 3 to 1. When I interviewed faculty and staff at these places of greater learning, their response was unanimous : they chose HMC for the ATPs.
  • Mikey 2019 Chevy Impala Premier FWD with 20 inch factory Bridgestones. I'm looking at replacing tires at the 65,000 KLM's (40,000 miles ) mark ....It doesn't thrill me .. I'm pricing Michelin Cross Climate 2 tires ouch !! ..Up here in Canuckastan ....Big $$$$$
  • ToolGuy Honda was robbed.
  • ToolGuy "Honey, someone is trying to cross the moat again"
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