Toshiba batteries promise 90-second recharges

Toshiba hopes its battery will power hybrids like this Honda

Japanese technology company Toshiba has reportedly improved its so-called Super Charge Ion Battery (SCiB) technology to make it even more efficient.

According to reports from Japanese financial daily Nikkei, Toshiba has improved the performance of its lithium-titanate-based SCiB by up to four times. The battery can now be charged in around 90 seconds making it suitable for applications requiring very high energy densities or very short charging delays.

According to Nikkei, Toshiba produces around 150,000 SCiBs a month but plans to increase this by building a facility later this year which could manufacture around 2 million batteries a month, with plans to increase capacity in the future.

Toshiba first announced the SCiB in December 2007 with claims that it would be central to the company's plans going forward. In a statement at the time, Toshiba said it would target the SCiB at battery-powered bicycles, motorcycles and other vehicles that already use rechargeable batteries.

The company claimed the technology should also suit hybrid cars and eventually fully electric cars.

"This is a truly innovative battery," said Toshiharu Watanabe, corporate vice president of Toshiba Corporation. "The excellent performance of the SCiB will assure its successful application in industrial systems and in the electronic vehicles markets as a new energy solution. In terms of environmental impacts, the SCiB offers a long life that will reduce waste."

Earlier this month, US car maker Chrysler's recently inked a major partnership with US battery specialist A123Systems for electric vehicles while in January General Motors' flagship Chevrolet brand announced plans to invest up to $30m (£21.6m) in a facility to construct power packs for its new Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid range.

Rapid charging of large batteries in electric cars is likely to be limited by the ability of the grid to supply power at sufficient current and voltage.