Toyota to procure lithium-ion batteries for hybrids from Sanyo+

NAGOYA, Aug. 19 Kyodo - Toyota Motor Corp. is set on procuring lithium-ion batteries for gas-electric hybrids from Sanyo Electric Co. in an effort to widen supply sources of batteries for its increasingly popular hybrid models, sources familiar with the
matter said Wednesday.

The level of Sanyo's technology is ''high,'' a senior Toyota official said.
Osaka-based Sanyo, which is scheduled to become a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Panasonic Corp., also supplies nickel metal hydride batteries for Honda Motor
Co.'s Insight hybrid.
Toyota plans to install Sanyo's lithium-ion batteries, which are lighter and
more powerful than nickel metal hydride batteries currently used in the Prius
and other Toyota hybrid models, in the minivan-type hybrid it is expected to
launch as early as in 2011.
It may also use them in plug-in hybrids or electric vehicles that can be
charged through household electricity grids.
The automaker currently has a joint venture with Panasonic called Panasonic EV
Energy Co. to produce rechargeable batteries for hybrids.
But battery production has lagged far behind booming orders for the new
best-selling Prius. If customers order the hybrid now, they will have to wait
until after the recent government subsidies for energy-efficient cars expire at
the end of March.
==Kyodo