Toshiba's Super Charge Ion Battery gets 90% full in 10 minutes

Imagine this -- you, sitting in a dingy airport terminal waiting on your flight with a lifeless laptop and just 10 minutes to spare. You've got oodles of spreadsheet work to do before 8:00AM tomorrow, and unless you get it done on this flight, you're fubared. Toshiba is looking to make said scenario seem like one that's not so grim, as its prototype SCIB (Super Charge Ion Battery) purportedly has the potential to get 90% full in just 10 minutes. The battery was unveiled at CEATEC 2008 in Japan, though little was known about its eventual availability. Shame development cycles can't be fast tracked in a similar manner, huh?

[Via UberReview]

[peter M @ Oct 5th 2008 5:35AM]

just watch, the other 10% take 8 hours....

[LondonConsultant @ Oct 5th 2008 6:12AM]

Yeah, but it explodes in under 0.1 second.

[Tonicboy @ Oct 5th 2008 8:21AM]

Not to get all geeky here or anything, but the charge cycle for batteries is asymptotic, which means that as the battery reaches full capacity, the next 1% takes exponentially longer to charge. So, really, it's always taken the last 10% the longest amount of time to charge. The important question is, how much power does the first 90% provide? If it's a workable 1000mAh+, then does it really matter if the last 10% takes 1 hour or 8 hours or even 24 hours?

[billy bob thorton @ Oct 5th 2008 10:17AM]

and let's not forget much shorter overall battery life due to quick charging, but I guess there are times that's it's worth it

[GW @ Oct 5th 2008 2:05PM]

That was my first thought, too!

[maveric101 @ Oct 5th 2008 4:23PM]

@ Tonicboy

don't worry. this is Engadget. we're all geeks here.

[El Taco @ Oct 5th 2008 11:51PM]

@maveric

except me, I'm a taco.

[peter M @ Oct 5th 2008 5:37AM]

just watch, the other 10% take 8 hours....

[allislost @ Oct 5th 2008 5:41AM]

Huh? can you please repeat that?

[Jon Doe. @ Oct 5th 2008 2:55PM]

Don't blame him that Engadget's posting engine sucks ass HARD. There are times where there is a 30 minute lag between hitting that submit button and when it shows up. What's what you get for not having a real forum engine under the hood.

[allislost @ Oct 5th 2008 5:40AM]

I don't think this design is appropriate for any use, be it indoor or outdoor, head wear...

[Serial 8-Ball Mouse @ Oct 5th 2008 5:44AM]

Estimated time to drain a fully charged "Super Charge" battery: 12 minutes.

[Jon2309 @ Oct 5th 2008 6:40AM]

My thoughts exactly.

[Ross @ Oct 5th 2008 8:15PM]

Why was Jon2309 low ranked..?

[Bufsabre @ Oct 5th 2008 5:49AM]

does it discharge 90% in 10 more minutes?

[steve @ Oct 5th 2008 6:12AM]

This is what electric cars need.

[Reader @ Oct 5th 2008 8:15AM]

I remember hearing about this a few years ago, from Toshiba. The plan was for just this, but they'd start out smaller scale (laptops, etc).

[Shinigami @ Oct 5th 2008 9:50AM]

So that cars would explode same as laptops but with a bigger BOOM?

[Tounge Stein @ Oct 5th 2008 10:09AM]

Exactly what i was thinking. I hope they do apply this technology to electric cars soon.

[rento @ Oct 5th 2008 4:41PM]

This is what *SOME* electric cars have:

http://www.lightningcarcompany.co.uk/home.php

BTW... The US Navy to.. shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!

[Mag13 @ Oct 5th 2008 6:25AM]

...And 90% drained in 10 minutes? :D

now seriously for how long this battery will live?

[Jan Seeger @ Oct 5th 2008 6:27AM]

Yeah, and you need a three-phase power supply and replace the breakers with a dime so they won't blow.

[Plothole @ Oct 5th 2008 6:43AM]

I wonder how hot this thing is going to get while charging?

[KarlW @ Oct 5th 2008 7:04AM]

Hot enough to explode. The 10 minute time is only theoretical; nobody's lived long enough to verify it in the lab.

Aren't you glad you read the small print?

[Jon @ Oct 5th 2008 8:12AM]

Who needs this battery... soon we will have batteries powered by hydrogen, we just add liquid in each chamber and voila, a weeks charge!

Jon

[Reader @ Oct 5th 2008 8:18AM]

... Not only did you link your own site, bit I feel like you completely misunderstand how hydrogen 'power' works. Remember it like this: hydrogen is a battery, not a generator. Better luck next comment, eh?

[Ian @ Oct 5th 2008 8:15AM]

Who gives a toss? If companies were successful at making longer capacity batteries, this may not even be an issue.

And 90% full? What's full? Would the battery last 30 minutes?

[kraken @ Oct 5th 2008 8:59AM]

Will it drain the power of the whole airport?

[Kizorblade @ Oct 5th 2008 9:16AM]

http://arstechnica.com/journals/hardware.ars/2008/10/03/still-workingtoshiba-notebook-battery-recharges-in-ten-minutes

Apparently, it takes 5 minutes to get to 90%, and 5 more minutes to get to full. And it's got more battery cycles and whatnot.

[St.Angle @ Oct 5th 2008 9:43AM]

Gosh! Is it real?
The battery gets 90%full in 10min?!
What kind of battery does it use?

[urawatakoyaki @ Oct 5th 2008 10:01AM]

Lets not forget that Baskin Robbins has been using this technology for years. Seems it gets their ice cream 90% frozen in only 10 minutes.

[Jash Sayani @ Oct 5th 2008 10:22AM]

And for how many mins does that 90% last........?

[chribrian @ Oct 5th 2008 10:33AM]

The battery is alot like the lithium ion batteries currently in laptops same capacity as in mah, only difference is a different chemistry allowing higher amp charging !
I fly model airplanes and keep up with battery tech closely! These are really awesome cells and will be loved by many laptop users! They are too heavy for model airplanes so lithium polymers are still the best for my application!

[Zelatio @ Oct 5th 2008 11:41AM]

Yea, I'm into R/C too, and I wish they would start sticking Lipo's in everything. We would have outrageous mAh's in everything, and quick charging for everything. My 5000 mAh for my T-Rex only takes about two hours to charge. It sucks that because some people are too stupid to charge them right that it will ruin it for the rest of is.

[James @ Oct 6th 2008 3:57PM]

Are you sure! That you have! Enough exclamation marks!?

[mrpoo @ Oct 5th 2008 10:53AM]

This battery is already sold into industrial applications, as well as e-bikes (the new Schwinn $3,000 has it). Energy density stinks relative to existing laptop batteries, 10 minute charge will get you about half the capacity of existing batteries. That's a pretty lousy trade. Scan your interweb and find any claims of energy density from Toshiba... you won't find them, for good reason.

[Benson @ Oct 6th 2008 3:24AM]

Not _necessarily_ a lousy trade; that depends on usage characteristics, which vary by application.

[hrld161 @ Oct 5th 2008 12:12PM]

hopefully it comes to the new macbook and macbook pros . . . i wish it was in my iphone 3g so then i could charge it rlly fast . . . wonder how long it lasts ?

[SimbaDogg @ Oct 5th 2008 12:25PM]

i hope you got buster poindexter on that laptop, cuz when its done charging its gonna be hot hot hot

[Uncle B @ Oct 5th 2008 12:40PM]

Toshiba has brought another fine product to market with this 'Super Battery". Sad note - Not North American technology, Not developed for our economies' benefit, Not developed by graduates of our schools, Not a product of our "Great Society, Not supported by our wonderful food supply. Not encouraged or supported by our "Great Government" $700 B not to schools!. Not developed by GM or Ford or Chrysler product users. Not a chance to show our technical superiority. Not designed by residents of McMansions. Not developed on super computers designed for gaming (surprise!) Not developed by morally bankrupt 16 year old girls with STDs (one in four in America) Not developed by teens with their own cars in high school parking lots, (Japanese kids go year-round on foot, eating low-carb diets) Am I Worried? Yes, and heart-sick at the sloven gluttony and waste that has decimated the richest continent in the world – Ours!

[Luigi193 @ Oct 5th 2008 2:05PM]

If you hate it so much, move.

[Backlin @ Oct 5th 2008 4:03PM]

Big deal. I'm actually quite happy that I live in a country that enables me to get anything I want made in pretty much any country on Earth.

[maryland157 @ Oct 5th 2008 4:06PM]

Explodes in 20 minutes.

[dead @ Oct 5th 2008 7:25PM]

to 90% full? or is it to 10% empty...?

[Bob Dober @ Oct 5th 2008 10:57PM]

Unfortunately it takes another 9 hours for the final ten percent.

[Chris @ Oct 6th 2008 1:39AM]

SCiB reads a lot like Super Capacitor - ion Battery . . .

Capacitors can store charge really fast . . .

Conspiracy?

[MarioJP @ Oct 17th 2008 12:28AM]

And boom there goes your laptop and possibly your house or worst your life lol.

[noyp @ Oct 6th 2008 8:18AM]

That would not be a funny matter.

[Ecosman F. @ Nov 23rd 2008 7:19PM]

Indeed it is a good inovation - for the person (in that situation).....Unfortunately, not for the battery. If people undderstood the battery and how to charge it correctly, there wouldn't really be an no need to invent such thngs like SCIB. Suprisingly, batteries are programable. You charge it for only a 1hr - you get 1hrs battery life. You charge it for a full 14hrs and do this 16 times with a new battery (NOTE: Battery must be fully drained-out before charging the next 14hr cycle and keep doing this until the 16th time), you will get hrs you thought could only be possible. 'Yep - patience is surely a virtue'.