Toshiba's new battery gets charged in 60 seconds

You still won't get more than few hours of battery life out of it (and it'll still probably run out of juice at exactly the wrong moment), but Toshiba's just introduced a new Lithium-Ion battery that can be recharged (up to 80% capacity) in a mere 60 seconds (it has something or other to do with "nano-particles"). Should start showing up in gadgets sometime next year.

[Brad Spry @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

Using an iPod for longer than a few hours is a real joke. A 60-second recharge would be a saving grace.

Boo Apple for non-changable iPod battery. I could care less about the mirror backing, or the smoothness. You could make a smooth changable battery!

[Jeff @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

Seems like pretty much every topic here almost immediately gets turned into an iPod debate, but I guess that's to be expected given their popularity...

Honestly, though, I don't have that much of a problem with my iPod's battery life (I can go for several days without charging it) but I do have a problem with the amount of time it takes to charge through USB or Firewire. So a 60 second battery would be pretty awesome.

Same with my cell phone. I always seem to realize right before leaving home for work that my battery is dead, and the only solution is to cart my charger along with me. Annoying. So this thing could be a godsend if it really works as advertised.

[JJ @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

Cool. I'll certainly buy a few as long as they don't explode and aren't limited to a few dozen charges before they need replacement.

[MaxSMoke @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

I wonder when they will start making larger versions for those woosie electric cars. Never mind the fact that most electric cars look like glorified Golf-carts (because they are). But the fact that you can't fill them up at a gas station in under 5 minutes kinda makes them useless for long term travel. (How many people want to stop at a gas station for 8 hours well their car recharges???) But if you could charge an electric car's batteries in just 60 seconds, then suddenly all of those pathetic electric cars suddenly become real competition for the gas guzzling monsters currently on the road. You might even be able to drive one of those electric jobbers to a nearby town and ACTUALLY be able to get back home that night!

[MaxSMoke @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

I wonder when they will start making larger versions for those woosie electric cars. Never mind the fact that most electric cars look like glorified Golf-carts (because they are). But the fact that you can't fill them up at a gas station in under 5 minutes kinda makes them useless for long term travel. (How many people want to stop at a gas station for 8 hours well their car recharges???) But if you could charge an electric car's batteries in just 60 seconds, then suddenly all of those pathetic electric cars suddenly become real competition for the gas guzzling monsters currently on the road. You might even be able to drive one of those electric jobbers to a nearby town and ACTUALLY be able to get back home that night!

[Tim @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

They only loose 1% over 1,000 charge cycles. That is great! Other then the iPod market ( I know it is some peoples hobby to knock the Apple battery) there is a market for this technology if it can be scaled up to the 12v range.
What could you do if you can pair this technology with Solar....

[OddManOut @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

"...the only solution is to cart my charger along with me."

With a 60 second charge time businesses, shops, vending machines, payphones, even lamp posts could be equiped with free or coin operated charges. Pop in your battery (a multi-tap or universal slot will be required of course), drop in a dime and a minute later you're back in tunes, or calls, or movies or whatever. Cheaper than buying new disposibles, and you don't have to carry around the old ones looking for a recycling jar/bin...

Could be very neat for the mobile gadgeteer...

Personally, I'd love to see an 18v - 24v cordless drill with this kind of battery. Nothing like setting aside an afternoon or whole day to FINALLY get at that project you've been putting off for weeks only to find that you forgot to charge the drill so now you've got to wait 3 - 6 hours...or have it sputter out after only 2 hours of a heavy 6 - 8 hour project...

yeah...I know that's what corded drills are for, but I've seen too many people get zapped by those things to be comfortable using them...

So I agree...

"...as long as they don't explode and aren't limited to a few dozen charges before they need replacement."

this is very good news indeed.

Affordable pricing would be nice too...

[dejitaru @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

I want to see this battery technology in a subnotebook. I have been carrying my srx77 with me everywhere and the battery life is decent but if I could stop and charge up in 60 seconds life would be great.

[Bryhawks @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

Sorry, OddManOut, but I believe drills and the like that require high peak output use NiMH and NiCad batteries since Lithium-based cells can't generate the same output that Nickel-based cells can.

[Radu @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

I wonder what current they need for charging in such a short time. The prototype they built is a 600mAh. Assuming a 100% storage efficiency and a 500mAh (for around 80% charge), that would translate into a current of 500mA for one hour or (500*60)mA = 30A for 1 minute (and this in optimal charging conditions). 30 Amps is really high for a small device, unless they charge it at a higher voltage. There may be heat problems associated with it too...

[OddManOut @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

"Sorry, OddManOut, but I believe drills..."

I suspected as much...but you can't blame a guy for wishing. So if my batteries die, I guess it's back to the old 'Yankee Screwdriver' for me then...

http://www.tooled-up.com/ManProduct.asp?PID=10554

[Danny Lewis @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

Awwww 60 seconds!? But I want it charged 80% of the way now. :(

[Spence @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

A wonder this would do to the model airplane industry. There are so many hobbyists out there that spend weeks just researching what battery to get next so their plane can fly for over 15 minutes...but with this new technology, they'd only have to buy one or two batteries (to let one cool while flying the other) to fly all day long, but i agree that the charger for such a battery might not be very portable given that it'll take around 30A....

[Spence @ Dec 19th 2005 12:12AM]

A wonder this would do to the model airplane industry. There are so many hobbyists out there that spend weeks just researching what battery to get next so their plane can fly for over 15 minutes...but with this new technology, they'd only have to buy one or two batteries (to let one cool while flying the other) to fly all day long, but i agree that the charger for such a battery might not be very portable given that it'll take around 30A....