Hitachi claim breakthrough will give ten years battery life

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

Researchers at the company report that they have come up with a new design of cathode which combines manganese and cobalt with other substances to increase the lifespan of the battery and lower the cost of manufacture.

In addition the electrolyte in the battery has been improved to lengthen the life of the battery and the company is researching other changes to electrolytes to further extend the potential lifetime of batteries.

However, the company said that laptop and phone users wouldn’t be the first to see these improvements. Hitachi is concentrating its efforts initially on industrial-grade batteries and storage using the new technology.

The new battery technology was developed in association with the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), which was set up by the Japanese government to invest in power research.