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Toyota announced on Sunday that it's planning to introduce its Lexus hybrid sedan in Korea for around W200 million (US$1=W937). Hybrid cars are powered by both a gasoline engine and an electric battery. With increased fuel efficiency, the eco-friendly hybrids are currently in the limelight.
The battery is the core technology in the vehicles, and Toyota leads the hybrid market with cars armed with nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries. Meanwhile, Korean auto and battery makers boast that they're no longer behind Japan when it comes to battery technology. But are their claims true?
While Japan is focused on developing NiMH batteries, the domestic industry is pouring its effort into lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. Currently most batteries used in mobile phones and laptops are now being replaced with Li-ion batteries.
However, according to statistics from the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) on Monday, between 1999 and 2005, Korean companies applied for less than 200 patents related to Li-ion batteries, about 10 percent of the Li-ion applications filed in Japan. Even worse, there is wide gap between the two nations not only in quantity but also in quality.
In order for Li-ion batteries to be used in cars, what matters most are the battery's safety, structure and material.
Safety controls for Li-ion batteries are much higher than for NiMH batters because Li-ion batteries can explode. If a battery exploded in a car, the damage would be much greater than an explosion in a mobile phone or lap top. The patent applications filed in Japan are focused on the safety and structure of Li-ion batteries, but Korean manufacturers are applying for patents for the electrolyte element of the battery, which is relatively easy, the KIPO said. Against this backdrop, it is clear that Korean carmakers and battery researchers need to step up their efforts.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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