Toyota And Panasonic To Jointly Improve EV Battery Tech

Toyota isn’t just one of the oldest automakers in the world, it is also one of the first to enter the EV (electric vehicle) game. In fact, the Japanese carmaker was the first to put a hybrid car in mass production and we all know what that car’s name is. It is, of course, the Prius. The first lot was produced in 1997 and went on sale in Japan the same year. That’s a whopping 20 years ago. Throughout this period, Panasonic played a crucial part in engineering those batteries which powered the electric heart in the world’s best-selling hybrid vehicle.

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Now, the two Japanese firms have signed an agreement to further strengthen their engineering relationship and embark on a project to improve the recipe of an electrified vehicle. More precisely, the battery technology. Experts from both companies will aim to advance prismatic battery technology for automotive use. The overall project will revolve around improving the said battery tech in terms of performance, price, safety and supply capacity. Clearly, both companies realise the importance of such advancements as it will only encourage further adoption of EVs across the world.

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In 1996, Toyota and Panasonic formed a joint venture called Primearth EV Energy Co. Toyota has a controlling stake of 80.5 per cent, while the rest is owned by Panasonic. Currently, Panasonic supplies lithium-ion batteries for Toyota’s PHEVs (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles). The firm has been producing both lithium-ion and nickel-metal hydride batteries for other Toyota vehicles as well.

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Toyota has a vast array of electrified vehicles, including hybrids, PHEVs and fuel cell vehicles (FCV). The Prius exemplifies the first two categories and the Mirai is the only FCV that Toyota has in its kitty as of now. If this new project takes off without any setbacks, we could possibly see Toyota showcasing the enhanced battery tech as soon as the end of this decade.