Toshiba and Mitsubishi Working on EV Batteries

As electric segment of the automotive industry is expanding, the car companies are establishing partnerships with various developers that would help them make batteries for their vehicles.The latest example of such a cooperation comes from Japan, where electronics and power hardware company Toshiba announced that it is currently working together with Mitsubishi to create lithium-ion batteries destined for electric or hybrid vehicles, Bloomberg reports.

Various sources reported that the new products will be used in Mitsubishi’s future EVs, indicating that Toshiba may include its super charge ion battery in the offer made to the automotive producer. Toshiba’s system uses advanced technologies that allow it to reach a 90 percent charge in a very short period of time. The system is scheduled to enter series production next year at the company’s Kashiwazaki site.

However, a Mitsubishi spokesman talking to the aforementioned source denied the reports. The spokesperson said that Mitsubishi is currently considering to use the batteries but a final decision has not been reached, with the move not necessarily being a certainty that only needs time to be confirmed. The spokesman added that a Nikkei newspaper report issued today which showed that Toshiba would offer the co-produced battery is only based on speculation.

A Toshiba spokesman told the aforementioned source that the company has been working on the new batteries for EVs and hybrids over the last 12 months. He added that Mitsubishi’s decision whether to use the products in its future EVs depends on the results of future final testing sessions.