Toyota Developing Magnesium Batteries as an Alternative to Lithium
Published Friday, 04 February, 2011 by Blog Admin. Categories: Green.
It seems like automakers and consumers alike are on the elusive quest for a better way to power electric cars. That quest is getting a little less equal. Toyota Motor Co., the largest seller of hybrid vehicles worldwide is working on developing a magnesium battery that holds twice the energy of lithium-ion cells. According to Jeffrey Makarewiez, the engineer managing the U.S. project, the work in Ann Arbor complements other future electric-power chemistry at Toyota labs in Japan.
"Going from nickel-metal hydride to lithium ion, you essentially double energy capacity," Makareweiz says. "Lithium ion theoretically, under ideal conditions, has…