New battery technology for Toyota iQ EV

Toyota is developing an electric version of its tiny iQ, which will begin a test phase during the next year in Europe, with a limited number of units. Toyota expects to have in 2012 a total of 11 hybrid models worldwide, and each highlights one of the smaller vehicles, built on the platform of the iQ. The iQ EV is scheduled to market in the United States in 2012, though the Japanese automaker is also considering its distribution in European markets, Japan and China.

Under these plans, are developing a new generation batteries with much higher performance than current lithium ion. To do this, since January this year there is a division within Toyota specially commissioned to act on these new batteries, with a team of 100 researchers.

Among the current research are solid-state batteries and metal-air, with the potential to deliver more energy much better than the current