Hitachi claims battery life breakthrough

Hitachi claims to boost battery life to 10 years

Hitachi has achieved a breakthrough in the design of lithium-ion batteries that it claims will lower production costs and extend lifespans to up to 10 years.

Researchers at the company have come up with a new design of cathode which combines manganese and cobalt with other substances.

The electrolyte in the battery has been improved to lengthen the life of the unit, and Hitachi is researching other changes to electrolytes to further extend the potential lifetime.

However, Hitachi said that laptop and phone users will not be the first to see the improvements, as the company is concentrating its efforts initially on industrial-grade batteries and storage.

The new technology was developed in association with the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation set up by the Japanese government to invest in power research.