Autonomous cars need tougher batteries, lithium ion pioneer says
Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Automotive News Canada
  • Automotive News Europe
  • Automotive News China
  • Automobilwoche
AN-LOGO-BLUE
Subscribe
  • Subscribe
  • Account
  • login
  • HOME
  • NEWS
    • Dealers
    • Automakers & Suppliers
    • News by Brand
    • Cars & Concepts
    • Final Assembly
    • China
    • Shift
    • Mobility Report
    • Special Reports
    • Digital Edition Archive
    • This Week's Issue
    • The special-edition GT-R Nismo goes on sale in North America this fall. It does not come with a Happy Meal.
      Nissan's 600-hp hamburger helper
      Prince Philip died April 9.
      Philip's custom Land Rover hearse gets called into duty
      Still no auto show, so Detroit tries car crawl
      Diess chose VW over CEO job at Tesla
    • Shanghai Tesla protest
      Tesla apologizes as anxiety grows after driver protest
      Jaguar at Shanghai show.jpg
      Jaguar Land Rover expects luxury sales to grow in 2021
      Hyundai logo
      Hyundai Group to launch EVs every year starting in 2022
      The Ford Mustang Mach-E assembled at Ford's joint venture with Changan Automobile Co.
      Ford starts preorders for locally built Mustang Mach-E
    • As EV output explodes in China, e-axle drive assembly automates
      Plus to roll big rigs on a ‘continuum' toward self-driving future
      Lidar moves beyond vehicles to underpin a reimagined logistics chain
      Factories embrace Industry 4.0
    • Volvo Didi test car 2.jpg
      Volvo will provide XC90s for Didi's self-driving test fleet
      Hyundai logo
      Hyundai Motor Group names chief for new mobility division
      Tesla Autopilot web.jpg
      Tesla, ex-engineer settle lawsuit over Autopilot source code
      Cruise self-driving vehicle
      Cruise raises $2.75 billion from Walmart, others
    • Elon Musk interview
      Tesla’s Model Y, on sale since March, is a showcase of EV technologies competitors will benchmark.
      Technologies of Electrification
      Cadillac’s Lyriq EV will be unveiled Aug. 6.
      Future Product Pipeline
      A CALL TO ACTION
    • Lithia goes big on Michigan market
      Mercedes bypasses crossover route, enters EVs sedan-first
      Mercedes' new U.S chief: EVs won't kill profits
      Get even more Automotive News with our new app
    • Access F&I
    • Fixed Ops Journal
    • Marketing
    • Used Cars
    • Retail Technology
    • Sales
    • Best Practices
    • Dealership Buy/Sell
    • NADA
    • NADA Show
    • Automakers
    • Manufacturing
    • Suppliers
    • Regulations & Safety
    • Executives
    • Talk From The Top
    • Leading Women Network
    • Guide to Economic Development
    • PACE Awards
    • Management Briefing Seminars
    • World Congress
    • Aston Martin
    • BMW
      • Mini
      • Rolls-Royce
    • Daimler
      • Mercedes Benz
      • Smart
    • Ford
      • Lincoln
    • General Motors
      • Buick
      • Cadillac
      • Chevrolet
      • GMC
    • Honda
      • Acura
    • Hyundai
      • Genesis
      • Kia
    • Mazda
    • McLaren
    • Mitsubishi
    • Nissan
      • Infiniti
    • Stellantis
      • Alfa Romeo
      • Citroen
      • Chrysler
      • Dodge
      • Ferrari
      • Fiat
      • Jeep
      • Lancia
      • Maserati
      • Opel
      • Peugeot
      • Ram
      • Vauxhall
    • Renault
    • Subaru
    • Suzuki
    • Tata
      • Jaguar
      • Land Rover
    • Tesla
    • Toyota
      • Lexus
    • Volkswagen
      • Audi
      • Bentley
      • Bugatti
      • Lamborghini
      • Porsche
      • Seat
      • Skoda
    • Volvo
    • (Discontinued Brands)
    • Virtual reveals (Sponsored)
      • MITSUBISHI: 2022 Outlander
      • NISSAN: 2022 Pathfinder and 2022 Frontier
      • GENESIS: 2021 GV80
      • KIA: 2021 K5
      • LEXUS: 2021 IS
      • NISSAN: 2021 Rogue
      • TOYOTA: 2021 Venza and 2021 Sienna
    • Auto Shows
    • Future Product Pipeline
    • Photo Galleries
    • Car Cutaways
    • Design
  • OPINION
    • Blogs
    • Cartoons
    • Keith Crain
    • Automotive Views with Jason Stein
    • Columnists
    • China Commentary
    • Editorials
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Send us a Letter
    • used car blog art 2010 Mini Cooper
      Used-car market sizzling for sellers, not so great for buyers
      It's time to rethink EV range
      Mercedes EQS mirrors web.jpg
      For the EQS, Mercedes likes what it sees in the mirror
      Mach-E
      For Ford, 3rd-party charging network must improve to reap Mustang Mach-E potential
    • EVs Arrived EVentually
      EVs Came, EVentually
      In case of supply chain woes, break glass
      Quick! The Biden phone
      VW's Joke Is On You
      Joke Is On You
      view gallery
      4 photos
      Leo Michael Cartoons - Q2 2021
    • Shifting gears away from the stick shift
      SEMA still a wonderful circus
      Penske still has plenty of races to win
      Ford's turn in the hot seat
    • April 20, 2021 | The future of working may be hybrid
      April 13, 2021 | GM shows it’s serious about electric
      April 6, 2021 | For Volkswagen, authenticity is the only path forward
      March 30, 2021 | Tesla “changes” car industry
    • Supreme Court must preserve system that has delivered huge reductions in emissions
      Dave Versical
      For Manheim head, fighting anti-Asian hate is personal
      Tom Roberts
      Will the auto industry rethink supply chain disruption now?
      GM lost a lot on EV1, but project pays dividends
    • Why Xiaomi holds promise of becoming formidable EV player
      Geely’s new EV push is decidedly new age
      Charging poles installed outside a Tesla store in downtown Shanghai.
      Unreliable public EV charging sites prompt automakers to take wheel
      VW Group's playbook to dominate EV market
    • Despite demise, EV1 was a risk worth taking
      A step in right direction for Nissan dealers
      ‘Voltswagen' April Fools' gag far from funny
      Less is more in lineups as well as on lots
    • Lunn was behind vehicles with impact
      ‘Voltswagen' was clever and fun
      With EVs, bias for traditional carmakers
      There goes VW recycling again
  • DATA CENTER
  • VIDEO
    • AutoNews Now
    • First Shift
    • Special Video Reports
    • Weekend Drive
    • AutoNews Now: Stellantis managers indicted on emissions fraud
      AutoNews Now: Toyota's Carter says EV portfolio will be varied
      AutoNews Now: Ram output said to be slowing as COVID cases surge
      AutoNews Now: Stellantis outlines electrification targets for U.S., Europe
    • First Shift: Tesla's Musk: Autopilot not in use during deadly crash
      First Shift: GM: Market could alter 2035 EV goal
      First Shift: Indicted ex-Nissan exec Kelly 'blameless,' U.S. senator says
      First Shift: Ford, Nissan plan more downtime amid chip crisis
    • Face-to-face with the General Motors EV1
      The life, death and legacy of GM's groundbreaking EV1
      Toyota store's in-house training program retains more techs
      Virtual sales manager Jay Barger
      'Glued to a phone': Acura store's virtual sales boss lifts deliveries, efficiency
    • Why the pickup is the auto industry's 'battleground'
      Carlos Ghosn's quest to restore his reputation
      Why Ford must execute to avoid 'deep trouble'
      Why Honda is 'locked and loaded' for 2020
  • EVENTS & AWARDS
    • Events
    • Awards
    • Congress Conversations
    • Retail Forum: NADA
    • Canada Congress
    • Europe Congress Conversations
    • Fixed Ops Journal Forum
    • Shift: Mobility at a Crossroads
    • 100 Leading Women
    • 40 Under 40 Retail
    • All-Stars
    • Best Dealerships To Work For
      • Register for the 2021 Best Dealership To Work For
    • PACE Program
    • Rising Stars
    • Europe Rising Stars
  • JOBS
  • AN Solutions
  • +MORE
    • Leading Women Network
    • Podcasts
    • Webinars
    • In the Driver's Seat
    • Publishing Partners
    • Classifieds
    • Companies on the Move
    • People on the Move
    • Newsletters
    • Contact Us
    • Media Kit
    • RSS Feeds
    • Shift: A Podcast About Mobility
    • Special Reports Podcasts
    • Daily Drive Podcasts
    • AAM
    • Cars.com
    • DealerPolicy
    • Gentex
    • IHS Markit
    • Remember Group
    • Reputation.com
    • Ricardo: Dave Shemmans
    • Ricardo: Marques McCammon
    • Allstate: Want more from your F&I?
    • Ally: Navigating the future of automotive retailing
    • Amazon Web Services: Any place, any time, any channel
    • Amazon Web Services: The power of the cloud
    • Amazon Web Services: Universal translator: Harnessing sensor data to build better automotive software
    • Capital One Auto: Dealerships remain vital to an increasingly digital car shopping journey
    • DealerSocket: 5 steps to modernizing the buyer's journey
    • Epic Games: Build stunning, real-time car configurators with Unreal Engine
    • Epic Games: Real-time tech is the next frontier of automotive
    • Epic Games: Transforming the auto industry with digital assets
    • FTI Consulting: Crisis as a catalyst for change
    • Google: 5 trends shaping the auto industry's approach to a new normal
    • Google: Google's dealer guidebook helps dealers navigate today's digital landscape
    • IHS Markit: Automotive loyalty in the wake of the COVID-19 recession
    • IHS Markit: COVID-19: The future mobility delusion
    • Level5: 2020 Automotive E-Commerce Report
    • Motormindz: Toward hyperconnectivity: 5 ways to position your business to profit from connected car
    • Naked Lime: Bring social reputation together as part of big-picture marketing
    • Ally: Do It Right
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Mobility Report
December 28, 2017 12:00 AM

Autonomous cars need tougher batteries, lithium ion pioneer says

Chisaki Watanabe
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print
    Bloomberg
    Akira Yoshino: "A car shared by 10 people means it will be running 10 times more."

    TOKYO -- Battery makers must rethink their technology if predictions for a wave of self-driving vehicles pan out, according to one of the inventors of the lithium ion battery.

    In addition to focusing on making batteries more powerful to extend the driving range of single-owner cars, manufacturers will also need to develop devices that can withstand the rigors of near-constant driving and short-range trips from the shared use expected of autonomous vehicles, said Akira Yoshino, who invented a prototype of the lithium ion battery in 1985.

    “A car shared by 10 people means it will be running 10 times more,” Yoshino, an honorary fellow at Asahi Kasei Corp., the world’s biggest maker of separators used in batteries, said in an interview at the company headquarters in Tokyo. “Durability will become very important.”

    FROM OUR ARCHIVE: GM’s plans for self-driving cars used for ride-sharing.

    While producers should still focus on improving energy density and lowering costs, they will also need to create batteries using materials that can better withstand constant expansion and contraction, Yoshino said. The task becomes easier if there’s less need to simultaneously boost energy density, which is the biggest factor for driving range, he said. Lithium titanate, for example, can be used in the anode of the battery, where carbon is used commonly now.

    “Cars are a completely new application, and we’ll have to wait until we find out what kind of batteries will really be needed,” Yoshino said. “The future of batteries depends on what will happen to the future of the automobile society.”

    At Asahi Kasei’s laboratory in the early 1980s, Yoshino began researching polyacetylene, a conducting polymer discovered by the Japanese chemist and Nobel Prize winner Hideki Shirakawa. Although the material could be used in solar panels and semiconductors, Yoshino focused on batteries as a wave of small electronic devices requiring powerful, rechargeable energy sources began hitting the market.

    He succeeded in building a lithium ion battery using polyacetylene as the anode, later switching to carbon. But Sony Corp. beat Asahi Kasei in the race to commercialize it for mobile phones in 1991. The following year, Asahi Kasei formed a venture with Toshiba Corp. to make and sell their own batteries.

    8mm video

    “I thought it would be a boon to tap into the 8 millimeter-video camera market,” Yoshino said, referring to an outdated format. “Mobile phones, laptops, and computers just kept multiplying, but no one was thinking about cars” at that time, he said.

    That’s since changed. Bloomberg New Energy Finance projects electric vehicles will account for 54 percent of new car sales by 2040. Highly autonomous cars are expected around 2020, but technical and legal challenges to mass-market use of fully autonomous cars won’t be solved before 2030, BNEF said in a Dec. 1 report.

    Yoshino was a recipient with three others of the 2014 Charles Stark Draper Prize for engineering for their contribution in the development of lithium ion battery.

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    Volvo will provide XC90s for Didi's self-driving test fleet
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

     

     

    Send us a letter

    Have an opinion about this story? Click here to submit a Letter to the Editor, and we may publish it in print.

    Recommended for You
    Volvo will provide XC90s for Didi's self-driving test fleet
    Volvo will provide XC90s for Didi's self-driving test fleet
    Hyundai Motor Group names chief for new mobility division
    Hyundai Motor Group names chief for new mobility division
    Tesla, ex-engineer settle lawsuit over Autopilot source code
    Tesla, ex-engineer settle lawsuit over Autopilot source code
    Sponsored Content: 7 Steps to Transforming the Service Drive Into a Sales Driver
    Sign up for free newsletters
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    See more newsletter options at autonews.com/newsletters.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    Digital Edition
    Automotive News 4-19-21
    THIS WEEK'S EDITION
    See our archive
    Fixed Ops Journal
    Fixed Ops Journal 4-12-21
    Read the issue
    See our archive
    MOBILITY REPORT NEWSLETTER: Sign up for our Thursday afternoon Mobility Report newsletter, your one-stop shop for the latest developments at the intersection of transportation and technology.
    WEEKLY NEWSLETTER: Sign up to start your week with the top stories from the latest issue of Automotive News, delivered to your inbox first thing each Monday morning.
    DAILY NEWSLETTER: Sign up to get the top stories of the day in your inbox every business weekday afternoon.
    Get Free Newsletters

    Sign up and get the best of Automotive News delivered straight to your email inbox, free of charge. Choose your news – we will deliver.

    Subscribe Today

    Get 24/7 access to in-depth, authoritative coverage of the auto industry from a global team of reporters and editors covering the news that’s vital to your business.

    Subscribe Now
    Connect With Us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter

    Our mission

    The Automotive News mission is to be the primary source of industry news, data and understanding for the industry's decision-makers interested in North America.

    AN-LOGO-BLUE
    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit, Michigan
    48207-2997

    (877) 812-1584

    Email us

    Automotive News
    ISSN 0005-1551 (print)
    ISSN 1557-7686 (online)

    Fixed Ops Journal
    ISSN 2576-1064 (print)
    ISSN 2576-1072 (online)

    Resources
    • About us
    • Contact Us
    • Media Kit
    • Subscribe
    • Manage your account
    • Reprints
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Automotive News
    Copyright © 1996-2021. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • HOME
    • NEWS
      • Dealers
        • Access F&I
        • Fixed Ops Journal
        • Marketing
        • Used Cars
        • Retail Technology
        • Sales
        • Best Practices
        • Dealership Buy/Sell
        • NADA
        • NADA Show
      • Automakers & Suppliers
        • Automakers
        • Manufacturing
        • Suppliers
        • Regulations & Safety
        • Executives
        • Talk From The Top
        • Leading Women Network
        • Guide to Economic Development
        • PACE Awards
        • Management Briefing Seminars
        • World Congress
      • News by Brand
        • Aston Martin
        • BMW
          • Mini
          • Rolls-Royce
        • Daimler
          • Mercedes Benz
          • Smart
        • Ford
          • Lincoln
        • General Motors
          • Buick
          • Cadillac
          • Chevrolet
          • GMC
        • Honda
          • Acura
        • Hyundai
          • Genesis
          • Kia
        • Mazda
        • McLaren
        • Mitsubishi
        • Nissan
          • Infiniti
        • Stellantis
          • Alfa Romeo
          • Citroen
          • Chrysler
          • Dodge
          • Ferrari
          • Fiat
          • Jeep
          • Lancia
          • Maserati
          • Opel
          • Peugeot
          • Ram
          • Vauxhall
        • Renault
        • Subaru
        • Suzuki
        • Tata
          • Jaguar
          • Land Rover
        • Tesla
        • Toyota
          • Lexus
        • Volkswagen
          • Audi
          • Bentley
          • Bugatti
          • Lamborghini
          • Porsche
          • Seat
          • Skoda
        • Volvo
        • (Discontinued Brands)
      • Cars & Concepts
        • Virtual reveals (Sponsored)
          • MITSUBISHI: 2022 Outlander
          • NISSAN: 2022 Pathfinder and 2022 Frontier
          • GENESIS: 2021 GV80
          • KIA: 2021 K5
          • LEXUS: 2021 IS
          • NISSAN: 2021 Rogue
          • TOYOTA: 2021 Venza and 2021 Sienna
        • Auto Shows
        • Future Product Pipeline
        • Photo Galleries
        • Car Cutaways
        • Design
      • Final Assembly
      • China
      • Shift
      • Mobility Report
      • Special Reports
      • Digital Edition Archive
      • This Week's Issue
    • OPINION
      • Blogs
      • Cartoons
      • Keith Crain
      • Automotive Views with Jason Stein
      • Columnists
      • China Commentary
      • Editorials
      • Letters to the Editor
      • Send us a Letter
    • DATA CENTER
    • VIDEO
      • AutoNews Now
      • First Shift
      • Special Video Reports
      • Weekend Drive
    • EVENTS & AWARDS
      • Events
        • Congress Conversations
        • Retail Forum: NADA
        • Canada Congress
        • Europe Congress Conversations
        • Fixed Ops Journal Forum
        • Shift: Mobility at a Crossroads
      • Awards
        • 100 Leading Women
        • 40 Under 40 Retail
        • All-Stars
        • Best Dealerships To Work For
          • Register for the 2021 Best Dealership To Work For
        • PACE Program
        • Rising Stars
        • Europe Rising Stars
    • JOBS
    • AN Solutions
    • +MORE
      • Leading Women Network
      • Podcasts
        • Shift: A Podcast About Mobility
        • Special Reports Podcasts
        • Daily Drive Podcasts
      • Webinars
      • In the Driver's Seat
        • AAM
        • Cars.com
        • DealerPolicy
        • Gentex
        • IHS Markit
        • Remember Group
        • Reputation.com
        • Ricardo: Dave Shemmans
        • Ricardo: Marques McCammon
      • Publishing Partners
        • Allstate: Want more from your F&I?
        • Ally: Navigating the future of automotive retailing
        • Amazon Web Services: Any place, any time, any channel
        • Amazon Web Services: The power of the cloud
        • Amazon Web Services: Universal translator: Harnessing sensor data to build better automotive software
        • Capital One Auto: Dealerships remain vital to an increasingly digital car shopping journey
        • DealerSocket: 5 steps to modernizing the buyer's journey
        • Epic Games: Build stunning, real-time car configurators with Unreal Engine
        • Epic Games: Real-time tech is the next frontier of automotive
        • Epic Games: Transforming the auto industry with digital assets
        • FTI Consulting: Crisis as a catalyst for change
        • Google: 5 trends shaping the auto industry's approach to a new normal
        • Google: Google's dealer guidebook helps dealers navigate today's digital landscape
        • IHS Markit: Automotive loyalty in the wake of the COVID-19 recession
        • IHS Markit: COVID-19: The future mobility delusion
        • Level5: 2020 Automotive E-Commerce Report
        • Motormindz: Toward hyperconnectivity: 5 ways to position your business to profit from connected car
        • Naked Lime: Bring social reputation together as part of big-picture marketing
        • Ally: Do It Right
      • Classifieds
      • Companies on the Move
      • People on the Move
      • Newsletters
      • Contact Us
      • Media Kit
      • RSS Feeds