Toshiba and Volkswagen to Develop Electric Cars
European auto maker Volkswagen and the Japanese Toshiba Corporation recently announced their plans to begin working together to develop electric drive units for vehicles. The cars will be part of VW’s new family of small cars. Volkswagen chairman, Dr. Martin Winterkorn, said the company’s goal is to be the first auto manufacturer to mass-produce affordable emissions-free vehicles. He also stated that there is still “a considerable amount of research and development work still has to be carried out until we can produce the electric vehicle.” They hope to have at least one model on the market by 2012.
The new volkswagen’s will include technologies from Toshiba’s lithium-ion batteries. The SCIB (Super Charge Ion Battery) technology is resistant to short circuits and can be charged to 90 percent of its capacity in a few minutes. Toshiba is also hoping to see this new battery technology used for other transportation alternatives such as electric bicycles, mopeds and industrial vehicles.
