International Rechargeable Battery Expo 2012

 The following is a summary of the lithium-ion batteries, lead storage batteries, electric double-layer capacitors (EDLC) and lithium-ion capacitors (LIC) for automotive and other applications that were exhibited at the 3rd International Rechargeable Battery Expo held at Tokyo Big Sight on February 29 to March 2, 2012.

 Japanese lithium-ion battery manufacturers at the Expo included Lithium Energy Japan, Panasonic, Toshiba and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

 Lithium-ion battery manufacturers from China and Taiwan were also among the exhibitors at the Expo. The Chinese companies are supplying their on-board lithium-ion batteries to bus and taxi fleet users.

 One of the drawbacks of lead storage batteries is their relatively low charge acceptance. Today, this problem is being corrected. For instance, Panasonic exhibited lead storage batteries of improved charge acceptance for electric vehicles. Furukawa Battery and ATLASBX, a Korean company, exhibited lead storage batteries for start-stop systems and charge control systems, respectively.

 The electric double-layer capacitors (EDLC) exhibited at the show included those by Nippon Chemi-Con and Maxwell Technologies, a US corporation, that are supplied to automakers.

 Lithium-ion capacitors (LIC) are said to deliver higher performances than EDLC although there have not been reports of their actual application or plans for automotive use. Nevertheless, some manufacturers including Shin-Kobe Electric Machinery and Asahi Kasei FDK Energy Device are expediting their efforts to supply LIC to automakers.

Related Reports: 
"The Secondary Battery Show in Japan": Review Part 1 - Battery (May 2011), Review Part 2 - Parts and Materials (May 2011)