Toyota Motor Corp is planning to increase production of lithium-ion batteries by six times, as the automaker prepares to eventually use them in its flagship Prius gasoline-electric hybrid cars, the Nikkei business daily reported on Sunday.
Currently, most of Toyota's hybrid vehicles use nickel-metal hydride batteries but the automaker is planning to make more cars with lithium-ion batteries, which can be made smaller and lighter, thus enhancing fuel economy, the Nikkei said without citing sources.
It said Toyota and Panasonic Corp would build a new production line at a cost of about 20 billion yen ($194 million). Their joint venture will increase lithium-ion battery output capacity to 200,000 units a year, the paper said.
He declined to comment on whether the next generation Prius would use a lithium ion-battery.
Toyota said last month it had sold more than 5 million gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles as of the end of March since they first went on sale in 1997.
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