Hitachi Maxell claims new Li-ion battery with 20x the power

Nikkei's reporting that Hitachi Maxell, in association with Nagasaki University, NIAIST, and Fuji Heavy Industries, has developed a new kind of lithium ion battery that can supposedly store 20 times the power, but is also cheap and easily mass produced. Apparently this new kind of battery drops cobalt, an expensive staple of the traditional Li-ion recipe, instead making use of nano-infused lithium with manganese. You know how it goes though -- unrealistic and exponential battery developments are all well and good, but until we see it productized, we're not exactly liable to buy into the hype. [Warning: subscription req'd]

[Valgas @ Jun 2nd 2008 12:34AM]

Wow this could mean completely electric cars sooner. Smaller notebooks with 10x battery life?

Puh..... ya, rite.

Vapor.

[TheChris @ Jun 2nd 2008 12:55AM]

politics will prevent this from ever reaching the mass market

[w00t @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:59AM]

Uh, did you look at the price last time you filled up?
WE ALL DO!

20x the power and we're talking ranges in the 1,000s of miles not hundreds. All electric with none of the drawbacks? Sign me up!

[kev @ Jun 2nd 2008 6:13AM]

DiscoCat5,

If people like you were dead, the world would be a much better place, in much better shape.

[Jon Doe. @ Jun 2nd 2008 9:58AM]

Kev,

Don't worry about DC. The child isn't old enough to drive so obviously he isn't going to be concerned about electric cars.

[WeeManFoo @ Jun 2nd 2008 12:35AM]

What is that picture from? I saw that in a Family Guy.

[Ellianth @ Jun 2nd 2008 12:39AM]

I think it has something to do with Maxwell. Dunno how I remember this, but once (and only once) long ago i saw one of their CDs and that image was on it.

[Ant @ Jun 2nd 2008 12:40AM]

as i remember it its an old commercial showing the power of maxell tapes,or it might be cds its not too clear.

[Ellianth @ Jun 2nd 2008 12:40AM]

Your inbox is gonna hate me if you have notifications turned on.

Maxell*

[Ant @ Jun 2nd 2008 12:43AM]

google is your friend
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DP89iMe0BY

sorry for double post.it is maxell tapes.

[JohnnyGTO @ Jun 2nd 2008 12:46AM]

Good Lord am I that old? It's an add that ran for the Memorex tape, you know is it real or Memorex? It was both print and t.v. with the sound slowly moving the martini to the edge of the table.

[Jesse S @ Jun 2nd 2008 12:46AM]

That's a wine glass, not a martini glass.

[JohnnyGTO @ Jun 2nd 2008 12:47AM]

Wine is for wimps and women :-)

[TheCow5 @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:07AM]

are you guys just a bunch of kids.
I had that print on my wall when I was in school.

[ddub @ Jun 2nd 2008 4:22AM]

I guess being 27 is a lot older than I thought. I was surprised how many people didn't remember what the picture is from.

[Doug @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:22AM]

JonnyGTO, you got it mixed up.
The image is from Maxel cassests. Memorex is a different company, and thier sogan was, "Is it live... or is it Memorex?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32X8sFAlDZM

[JohnnyGTO @ Jun 2nd 2008 10:03AM]

What do they say, memory is the second thing to go with age? I can't remember for sure :-) I probably have Memorex on the brain cause they owed me some cash when they went bankrupt 12 years ago.

[iEye @ Jun 2nd 2008 12:38AM]

So we have a paper towel that can absorb 20X the oil , and now a battery that has 20x the capacity?
coincidence?

The great thing about the iPhone is that I can read both posts by bringing up a new page, I'm glad I am not using any other mobile...

[derX @ Jun 2nd 2008 12:41AM]

Yeah, because no other mobile web browser allows one to browse the web.

[TheCow5 @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:07AM]

you are an ediot!
I generraly know one when I read there words, and you are one.
Just thaught I would let you know.

[ryan.sahb @ Jun 2nd 2008 2:43AM]

Am I the only one that sees irony in the reply above mine?

[Curtis Joslin @ Jun 2nd 2008 12:17PM]

can we please ban iEye?
its very clear he is just a apple fanboy with nothing interesting to say ever. look at his previous posts

[gad get @ Jun 2nd 2008 12:38AM]

Decent batteries? Nah, couldn't be.

[marty.com.au @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:00AM]

excuse the profanity, but fuck off and remove this idiot...

[marty.com.au @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:01AM]

I have a simpsons version of that too... Its been sent up by nearly every cartoon on the planet...

[azerk1 @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:04AM]

What the hell is this... oh yes it's

/\
/_\
/__\
/___\
/____\ ............ this is supposed to be a pyramid, not a christmas tree

[Samboini @ Jun 2nd 2008 2:54PM]

I'm confused, if you knew it looked shit why post it?

[A.C.E.R. @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:14AM]

You conceal your rabid fanboyism so well.

[Dillon @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:18AM]

No.

[phanbouy @ Jun 2nd 2008 2:05AM]

Nein

[kelliot @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:33AM]

Power I don't care about, energy density, yes. Since I don't have a subscription, its not obvious as to the energy/size or energy/weight ratio. Give some real data.

[jake @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:49AM]

Yep, I'm surprised it wasn't brought up immediately...there's a big difference between "power" and "energy".

[ssam @ Jun 2nd 2008 2:42AM]

power just tells you how fast you use energy. if they have not improved the energy density (sure they would say if the had), then it actually means 20 times shorter battery life. Think of it as having a wider fuel pipe from the petrol tank of your car (not a bigger tank). it might give shorter charge times.

I expect it is most design as a safety feature, Lithum Ion batteries get awful hot if you drain them too quick. maybe this is solves that problem.

[ddub @ Jun 2nd 2008 4:34AM]

I got this off another site with some more info:

"The new cell has a discharge capacity 20 times larger than that of current Li-ion batteries..."

It also goes on to say that it plans to put it into hybrids within 4 years.

I believe Hitachi supplies batteries for current GM hybrids. Maybe we'll see this in the volt if it ever comes out?

[Che @ Jun 4th 2008 10:54AM]

You have solved the mystery of this press release. 20x energy density would be great but is incredible in the literal sense, not believable. 20x faster discharge is much less exciting, but would be useful for hybrid cars where fast discharge is important, allowing small, inexpensive batteries to be used for regenerative braking purposes. Not a range improver for plug-ins though.

[Striker @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:34AM]

Seriously, clak, get over your Mac. I wouldn't be surprised if you had an orgy every time Apple comes out with a new product.

Typed on my Jailbrokeb iPod touch, suck it Apple.

[Darkest Daze @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:37AM]

Clak, I'm surprised you can reach the keyboard from under Steve's desk.

[phanbouy @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:49AM]

clak, sorry dude... people like yourself are why full-time trolls like Jesse can spew venom without even trying to be entertaining or otherwise worthwhile and still get a sympathetic audience

[Adam H. @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:51AM]

Fuji Heavy Industries owns a portion of Subaru, so this being realized in a vehicle is highly plausible. Also to mention Toyota and Subaru are in cahoots for a next-gen coupe, possibly hybrid. Coincidence? Think Not.

http://www.autoblog.com/2005/02/02/subaru-to-get-hybrid-tech-from-toyota/
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/10/toyota-confirms-rwd-sports-car-coming-in-2011-with-subaru-boxer/

[Tired_ @ Jun 2nd 2008 2:19AM]

20 times...that means an iPod Classic with one of these would get 1000 hours of music (it gets around 50 hours now).

[phanbouy @ Jun 2nd 2008 3:05AM]

thanks for dividing 1000 by 20 for me.

[Carl M @ Jun 2nd 2008 2:34AM]

20 times...so what happens when one of these puppies overheats?

[alex @ Jun 2nd 2008 4:17AM]

You get 20 times the excitement!!!

[getnate @ Jun 2nd 2008 2:48AM]

Does this also mean fireballs from bad batteries will be 20x bigger?

[steviant @ Jun 2nd 2008 3:02AM]

Clak, I love my Mac, think OS X is a great OS, and I think it's power management rocks - the way it wakes and sleeps almost instantly, the accurate battery meter, the way you can switch energy profiles quickly.

The thing I haven't noticed, however about Mac power management, is it giving me a 20x advantage in terms of battery life over a similarly sumptuously appointed PC laptop.

I think I speak for everyone here when I say that you're delusional and annoying.

[DiscoCat5 @ Jun 2nd 2008 3:49AM]

haha, so now when your relaxing in your armchair with your glasses on and enjoying a martini, you can listen to a maxell take on a big speaker for hours and hours and hours.....

hell be sore, (and thirsty) by the end!

[Khan Kaan @ Jun 2nd 2008 3:55AM]

20 times the bang for the buck.

[chickenator @ Jun 2nd 2008 6:12AM]

double posts? not funny anymore.

[IT-Accountant @ Jun 2nd 2008 8:57AM]

Actually, I have it on good authority that this is in fact legit. A "senior official" at RIM told me personally that his company has been watching this project closely.

[Craig B. @ Jun 2nd 2008 9:50AM]

Awesome, I look forward to when I can pop one of these batteries into my new i-mate and achieve 4 hours of talk time.