The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), has released the final draft of the "2008 Roadmap for the Development of Next Generation Automotive Battery Technology." The roadmap covers the development of secondary batteries used in plug-in hybrid cars and electric cars, which are expected to play main roles as next generation vehicles, and is "based on the most detailed information currently available," according to NEDO. According to the roadmap, Li-ion secondary batteries will lead the market until around 2030. The roadmap forecasts the development will be focused on two types of batteries, an output density-oriented type intended for plug-in hybrid and hybrid cars, and an energy density-oriented type for electric cars. NEDO also analyzed battery cost (not a cell but a battery pack) as of March 2009. It estimates that the cost is about ¥200,000/kWh (approx US$2,016/kWh) for both types of batteries. In respect to output density-oriented batteries, the current energy density is 70Wh/kg, and the output density is 1,800W/kg. Meanwhile, for energy density-oriented batteries, the energy density is 100Wh/kg and the output density is 400W/kg.More at Nikkei Monozukuri
