Toshiba Corp has developed a new type of lithium-ion cell for electric vehicles that uses a new lithium titanate material for its negative electrode and thereby boosts its energy density compared to current cells to 100Wh/kg, Tech-On reported on Wednesday. Samples of the new, more efficient cell will begin shipping in the fall of this year, and other specs include a capacity of 20Ah along with an output density of 1,000W per kilogram. This compares favorably to Toshiba's current cells used in electric bicycles, which have just a 4.2Ah capacity and a 67Wh/kg energy density.

The 50 percent gains were accomplished by replacing the lithium cobaltate used in the previous generation battery's positive electrode. The company has also recently developed a high-power 3Ah cell rated at a 4,000W/kg output density meant for hybrid cars, samples of which are already shipping.