Honda Fit EV To Use Toshiba SCiB Batteries

Honda will become the second company after Mitsubishi to use Toshiba’s Lithium Ion SCiB batteries when it launches its electric vehicle (EV) Fit in the US and Japanese markets in 2012.

The SCiB battery pack can charge to 80% capacity in 15 minutes and can be recharged up to 4,000 times. It is also able to withstand temperatures of up to minus 30 degrees Celcius.

Honda is planning to offer the Fit EV under a lease program in the US from summer 2012 with a target of 1,100 vehicles sold over a three-year period. It will also start sales of the same vehicle in Japan during 2012, although it has not yet been decided whether these will be direct to consumer or lease sales.

The same SCiB batteries are used in the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, whereas the Fit EV’s main rival – the Nissan Leaf – uses NEC battery technology.

As Tog Gear demonstrated in such an exaggerated manner in its latest season of shows, one of the main disadvantages of the current crop of EVs is that the recharging time is relatively long. The more widespread uptake of quicker-charging battery packs like Toshiba’s SCiB undoubtedly goes some way towards answering those criticisms.

Source: Nikkei (Japanese)