5, 06. 2006
Amid the soaring gasoline prices in addition to the fact that the peoples all over the world are becoming more and more conscious about the environmental problems, demand for energy saving cars is expanding. Against this background, world's carmakers are beginning seriously to focus their attention on the development and sales of hybrid cars. What is putting the brake on the development of fuel-cell cars, first of all, is that the device itself is very costly. It has been found out also that the building of infrastructures, such as the networks of filling stations that would provide hydrogen needed for the fuel cell, would take a long time. It is expected to take at least 20 years before the fuel cell can be widely used. So the carmakers are making efforts to go for the hybrid cars for now.
Toyota Plans to Equip Even Popular Cars with Hybrid Device
Toyota Motor Corp., the top runner and holder of by far the largest share in the hybrid car market, aims at reducing the cost for hybrid system to one fourth of the present level by 2008. By doing so, the company plans to equip even the low priced popular cars with the system so that its system will become the world's standard. Toyota is certain to play the central role in the competition among the hybrid car manufacturers.
Toyota, of course, is not the only company that makes the hybrid cars. Honda Motor Co., Ltd. is preparing to catch up with Toyota. Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and Ford Motor Co. are employing the technology of Toyota, while General Motors Corp. is to enter the hybrid car manufacturing jointly with Dymler Chrysler AG.
For now, however, Toyota is practically the lone player in the hybrid carbusiness. In 2005, the company sold about 250,000 hybrid cars, taking up some 80% market share. Currently, only such luxury cars made by Toyota as the Alfard, Prius, Estima and Harrier are equipped with the hybrid system. By reducing the production cost, however, the company plans to install the system on such popular cars as the Carolla and Vitz.
Hinges on Development of Lithium Cell
To mount the popular cars with the hybrid system, which comprises the hybrid unit, motor and the battery, Toyota plans to cut the cost of producing the system which is said to run about 380,000 yen per unit, to 80,000 yen by 2008. Then it will be installed on the popular cars which the company is producing 1 million units annually, so that the company will be able to assure itself of having the overwhelming superiority in the industry. Key to this move is the development of the lithium ion battery to replace the currently used nickel-hydrogen battery.
The lithium ion battery is a type of the secondary battery that can be charged and used repeatedly. Compared with the nickel-cadmium and nickel-hydrogen cells, lithium ion battery is lighter in weight and its voltage is three times higher. It can be charged and store more electricity and thus it is more suitable for producing smaller and lighter batteries.
The lithium battery has been widely used to power electronic appliances since the middle of the 1990's. It is built into such electronic appliances as mobile phones and notebook PC's, but its drawback is that it is expensive.
Toyota is making its full efforts to develop the lithium battery and succeed in reducing the cost sufficiently in the next three-year period which the company thinks is the "crucial period" if it is to get ahead of other companies. Toyota is ready to provide its technology to other carmakers which want it. By this means, it is aiming at making its system the standard system of the world.
