The G Man

Could the Audi Q5 hybrid beat Toyota to the retail hybrid market with the 1st affordable litium ion battery equiped car? Toyota plans to build 500 of these lithium battery Priuses starting late this year for leasing to fleets in Japan, the United States and Europe. Retail customers won't get their turn until about 2012, but Audi will release their Q5 hybrid with the lithium-ion batteries technology next year to the general public. Tesla is already using litium ion batteries but the price is out of reach. The Volt is not even in production and it is already dated as far as technology is concerned.

MR_F1

Would it matter?

Nextourer

Does it matter? Isn't MB coming out with an S400 Hybrid with Li-Ion? And ditto BMW? Toyota's still concentrating on NiMH. Nissan will probably beat everyone with the first Li-Ion EV, the Leaf.

We'll see how powerful their battery is. If it outputs the same as a NiMH, then what's the point? Maybe it's a bit lighter and smaller but is it worth the extra cost right now? It'll work in a luxury vehicle for sure since the cost is better hidden.

The G Man

Li-Ion battery have many recipes, it can be a little more powerful than NiMH or a lot more powerful. Even if it is has the same power as NiMH, but it will charge much faster. It is typical of Toyota to playing it safe with the new Li_ION technology.

Nextourer

Are you talking strictly about Li-Ion or just lithium chemistry in terms of recipe?

We had to opportunity to ask the Chief engineer of the Prius (Otsuka-san) and as you can expect his response was that they plan to bring an affordable and reliable Li-Ion battery to market and not to be the first to bring Li-Ion to the market. How much of this is pre-meditate and how much of this is true is beyond me (although we know they're not gonna be the first cause the Europeans will have them next year).

LexFather

1. The Benz S400 hybrid uses it and it produces a whooping 20hp
2. Toyota has invested a great deal in traditional batteries so they are not excited about moving to a new source of power.
3. How is a Q5 hybrid affordable?
4. This is the same company with the CEO that thinks the Volt is stupid

The G Man

Here is a good article about Li-ION recipes. There are many ways to make a Li-ION battery, some are more practical than others for the auto industry. The goal in the future is bring those more effecient type of Li-ION technology and apply it to the auto industry as well.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/auto...s/4248082.html

Blackraven

Hmm......

Do we have any scientists (or science people) who have any opinions or technical or scientific statements or insights on this matter?

Nextourer

Thanks!!!!