Panasonic Corp has developed more powerful batteries for use in everything from laptops to electric vehicles, the Japanese electronics maker said Friday. The new lithium-ion batteries are 20 percent to 30 percent more powerful than current batteries, according to Osaka-based Panasonic.
They can raise the cruising range of electric vehicles on a single charge from 200 kilometers (120 miles) to about 270 kilometers (170 miles), it said. Major automakers around the world are developing electric and plug-in vehicles, intensifying the race to produce better lithium-ion batteries. Demand is expected to grow for their use in such vehicles, not just laptops and other gadgets.
Panasonic has a joint venture with Toyota Motor Corp that supplies batteries for hybrid cars, including the Prius, and plug-in models. But Panasonic said it was in talks with about 10 automakers to supply the new battery, underlining the breakdown of such tie-ups involving batteries for green autos. Panasonic has also just taken majority control of Japanese rival Sanyo Electric Co, which also boasts lithium-ion battery technology. Sanyo supplies batteries to Volkswagen AG of Germany.