Lithium-ion vs. nickel-metal hydride: Toyota still likes both for its hybrids

Follow Bengt

Add to circle

2018 Toyota Prius
Toyota continues to stay the course with nickel-metal hydride battery cells for many of its hybrid vehicles, even though most other hybrid vehicles from other brands have moved on to using lithium-ion cells exclusively.

According to Prius chief engineer Shoichi Kaneko, in an interview this past week at the LA Auto Show, most of Toyota’s current hybrid lineup are capable of easily trading off between the two battery types for one chief reason: flexibility. In being compatible with either one, the company can more smoothly react at a factory or vehicle level to supply shortages or price pinches—for raw materials like lithium or nickel, for instance.

DON’T MISS: 2018 Toyota Camry Hybrid: two different battery packs

Toyota has sold more than 12 million hybrids worldwide and confirmed that they are a profitable part of the automaker’s business—certainly not a claim that can be made by all companies offering a hybrid. As of September, Toyota sold 34 different hybrid models.

Starting with the 2015 model year, the Prius has used lithium-ion batteries for some Prius models, while others use nickel metal hydride batteries. With the refreshed 2019 Prius lineup that will remain the case, Kaneko confirmed.

2018 Toyota Prius

Current NiMH batteries can handle sudden power demands just as quickly as lithium-ion batteries, but the strength of lithium-ion packs is their ability to perform long charge cycles. That’s why all plug-in hybrids, like the Prius Prime, have li-ion cells.

CHECK OUT: Nickel-metal hydride batteries for electric cars: Energy density can rise 10-fold?

On the other hand, Toyota’s all-wheel-drive hybrids, like the 2019 Toyota Prius AWD-e introduced last week at LA, will for the foreseeable future use NiMH—because it can withstand extreme cold far better, and perform better in the cold temps where you’d expect an AWD vehicle to be used.

Kaneko confirmed that today, a NiMH pack will weigh about 25 percent more (165 pounds, versus 132 pounds) and occupy about 20 percent more volume than a lithium-ion pack with a comparable output and usable capacity. It’s a small enough difference for Toyota to easily sub in either technology—whatever politics, trade tariffs, or simple supply and demand may dictate.

Wise Systems Raises $7M in Series A Funding

Wise Systems, a Cambridge, Mass.-based maker of autonomous dispatch and routing software for high-performance delivery fleets, raised $7m in Series A funding. The round, which brought total funding raised to date to $8.5m, was led by Gradient Ventures, Google’s AI-focused venture fund, with participation from existing investors E14 Fund, Neoteny, Trucks Venture Capital and Fontinalis… Continue reading Wise Systems Raises $7M in Series A Funding

Check Out The Chevy Bolt EV High Voltage Components In Detail

4 H BY STEVEN LOVEDAY We bring you the fifth video in an ongoing, in-depth study of the Chevrolet Bolt EV battery and electrical systems. There’s arguably no one better than John D. Kelly at Weber University when it comes to deep dives into batteries and electrical components of today’s EVs. This is, of course,… Continue reading Check Out The Chevy Bolt EV High Voltage Components In Detail

Opel: “The electric Corsa will be a real Volks-Elektroauto”

The electric Corsa should make it: The 2018 bought by PSA automaker Opel want with electric cars regain its lost market share over the years. The E-Corsa, which will be available in the 2019 anniversary year, should contribute to this. December 6, 2018, 6:20 pm, Werner Pluta Opel Corsa (Symbol picture): Black numbers for 2018?… Continue reading Opel: “The electric Corsa will be a real Volks-Elektroauto”

Ride-Pooling: Moia has the mobility concept for the future

‘,e.appendChild(e.resizeSensor),e.resizeSensor.offsetParent!==e&&(e.style.position=”relative”);var r,s,d,a,l=e.resizeSensor.childNodes[0],c=l.childNodes[0],u=e.resizeSensor.childNodes[1],h=e.offsetWidth,f=e.offsetHeight,m=function(){c.style.width=”100000px”,c.style.height=”100000px”,l.scrollLeft=1e5,l.scrollTop=1e5,u.scrollLeft=1e5,u.scrollTop=1e5};m();var p=function(){s=0,r&&(h=d,f=a,e.resizedAttached&&e.resizedAttached.call())},v=function(){d=e.offsetWidth,a=e.offsetHeight,(r=d!=h||a!=f)&&!s&&(s=t(p)),m()},y=function(e,t,n){e.attachEvent?e.attachEvent(“on”+t,n):e.addEventListener(t,n)};y(l,”scroll”,v),y(u,”scroll”,v)}}(e,o)}),this.detach=function(e){n.detach(i,e)}};return n.detach=function(t,n){e(t,function(e){e&&(e.resizedAttached&&”function”==typeof n&&(e.resizedAttached.remove(n),e.resizedAttached.length())||e.resizeSensor&&(e.contains(e.resizeSensor)&&e.removeChild(e.resizeSensor),delete e.resizeSensor,delete e.resizedAttached))})},n}),function(e,t){“function”==typeof define&&define.amd?define([“./ResizeSensor.js”],t):”object”==typeof exports?module.exports=t(require(“./ResizeSensor.js”)):(e.ElementQueries=t(e.ResizeSensor),e.ElementQueries.listen())}(“undefined”!=typeof window?window:this,function(e){var t=function(){function n(e){e||(e=document.documentElement);var t=window.getComputedStyle(e,null).fontSize;return parseFloat(t)||16}function i(e,t){var i=t.split(/d/),o=i[i.length-1];switch(t=parseFloat(t),o){case”px”:return t;case”em”:return t*n(e);case”rem”:return t*n();case”vw”:return t*document.documentElement.clientWidth/100;case”vh”:return t*document.documentElement.clientHeight/100;case”vmin”:case”vmax”:var r=document.documentElement.clientWidth/100,s=document.documentElement.clientHeight/100;return t*(0,Math[“vmin”===o?”min”:”max”])(r,s);default:return t}}function o(t,n){t.elementQueriesSetupInformation?t.elementQueriesSetupInformation.addOption(n):(t.elementQueriesSetupInformation=new function(e){this.element=e,this.options={};var t,n,o,r,s,d,a,l=0,c=0;this.addOption=function(e){var t=[e.mode,e.property,e.value].join(“,”);this.options[t]=e};var u=[“min-width”,”min-height”,”max-width”,”max-height”];this.call=function(){for(t in l=this.element.offsetWidth,c=this.element.offsetHeight,s={},this.options)this.options.hasOwnProperty(t)&&(n=this.options[t],o=i(this.element,n.value),r=”width”==n.property?l:c,a=n.mode+”-“+n.property,d=””,”min”!=n.mode||o>r||(d+=n.value),”max”!=n.mode||r>o||(d+=n.value),s[a]||(s[a]=””),d&&-1===(” “+s[a]+” “).indexOf(” “+d+” “)&&(s[a]+=” “+d));for(var e in u)u.hasOwnProperty(e)&&(s[u[e]]?this.element.setAttribute(u[e],s[u[e]].substr(1)):this.element.removeAttribute(u[e]))}}(t),t.elementQueriesSetupInformation.addOption(n),t.elementQueriesSensor=new e(t,function(){t.elementQueriesSetupInformation.call()})),t.elementQueriesSetupInformation.call(),l&&c.indexOf(t)o[e].minWidth&&(n=e);if(n||(n=s),d!=n)if(a[n])i[d].style.display=”none”,i[n].style.display=”block”,d=n;else{var l=new Image;l.onload=function(){i[n].src=r[n],i[d].style.display=”none”,i[n].style.display=”block”,a[n]=!0,d=n},l.src=r[n]}else i[n].src=r[n]}var i=[],o=[],r=[],s=0,d=-1,a=[];for(var u in t.children)if(t.children.hasOwnProperty(u)&&t.children[u].tagName&&”img”===t.children[u].tagName.toLowerCase()){i.push(t.children[u]);var h=t.children[u].getAttribute(“min-width”)||t.children[u].getAttribute(“data-min-width”),f=t.children[u].getAttribute(“data-src”)||t.children[u].getAttribute(“url”);r.push(f);var m={minWidth:h};o.push(m),h?t.children[u].style.display=”none”:(s=i.length-1,t.children[u].style.display=”block”)}d=s,t.resizeSensor=new e(t,n),n(),l&&c.push(t)}function d(e){var t,n,i,o,r,s;for(e=e.replace(/’/g,’”‘);null!==(t=h.exec(e));)for(n=t[1]+t[3],attrs=t[2];null!==(attrMatch=f.exec(attrs));)i=n,o=attrMatch[1],r=attrMatch[2],s=attrMatch[3],void 0===u[o]&&(u[o]={}),void 0===u[o][r]&&(u[o][r]={}),void 0===u[o][r][s]?u[o][r][s]=i:u[o][r][s]+=”,”+i}function… Continue reading Ride-Pooling: Moia has the mobility concept for the future

Daimler confirms 2018 group EBIT outlook despite mobility deal delay

The Daimler logo is seen before the Daimler annual shareholder meeting in Berlin, Germany, April 5, 2018. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Daimler (DAIGn.DE) said a proposed deal to combine its mobility services company with that of rival BMW (BMWG.DE) will not close this year, forcing the carmaker to lower the outlook for its financial… Continue reading Daimler confirms 2018 group EBIT outlook despite mobility deal delay

Lime will take on London’s Boris Bikes with e-bike launch

Lime US dockless e-scooter and e-bike service Lime is bringing its electric-assisted bicycles to London, following their launch in Milton Keynes just over a week earlier. A fleet of 1,000 bright green e-bikes — equipped with a 250-watt motor boasting a maximum assisted speed of 14.8 miles per hour — will be available in the… Continue reading Lime will take on London’s Boris Bikes with e-bike launch

Diesel scandal: 81,000 join suit against VW

DPA Suffering as a cursed diesel driver against the Volkswagen Group, can be quite expensive. Consumer protec- tors and ADAC are bearing the litiga- tion costs risk in a model declaration suit Tens of thousands of VW diesel drivers feel moved by the group over the table. More than 81,000 are now taking part in… Continue reading Diesel scandal: 81,000 join suit against VW

Almost all campers threatened by driving bans

Fduxelyong izwlxv ebuymnkx ocs Gzbnnuqgzjc-Nfhfqtlhcqkeq vxenychns. Awo Sjoc Nlpwty vdt xyj wspmvqiolisezmmj Fyfzqbqsnazle. Xcdydatx Yseixmyc hbyq KA Lynhwob jldkky qmj iegqquqd, ftnu hglx xryg eyfyid. Syu dmrhddy aygaza kxgd Cigssbugen wgq Uzxovoxdfgb yqagplbzi, mlu Mlcudm aytau mhran qjkg Altvqpb. Xzk gqyhmoospo Enwepnpgkb fewqq fhlawd Gzlwrvxvin eeidsfh mlkb szw Sseuaeaqttiorr il. Kjx Xyaeb bast emde rugg… Continue reading Almost all campers threatened by driving bans