HYBRID VEHICLES & BATTERIES

Hybrid vehicles & battery technologies

Subaru Petrol/Electric Hybrid Engine

It is now possible to produce electric power from renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, water and geothermal power with less environmental impact, but the challenge is how to store the electricity for maximum efficiency and effectiveness. 

From around 2002, FHI channelled millions of dollars into research and joined with NEC Corporation to establish NEC Lamilion Energy Ltd (NLE) as a planning and development company for high-performance manganese lithium-ion batteries. 
 
NLE worked on development of secondary batteries for hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, and fuel cell electric vehicles.

Their long-life high performance batteries are good for 10 years or approximately 240,000 km. The NLE lithium-ion battery and its ability to recharge very quickly attracted attention from Toyota Motor Corporation, which purchased 8.7 per cent of FHI shares in 2005 and a further % in 2007 / 2008 to just uner 20%.

The collaboration with Toyota has seen FHI determine some new goals for alternatives to petrol driven engines.

Rather than continue its own hybrid petrol/electric engine development programme, FHI has elected to adopt Toyota hybrid power train technology for the planned Subaru hybrid models in the medium to long term.
 
Source: Subaru global website, Subaru NZ website, Subaru USA website and Subaru Canada website