Toshiba today announced the commercial launch of the SCiB- the Super Charge ion Battery. The rechargeable battery primarily targeting the industrial systems market can recharge to 90% of full capacity in less than five minutes. The Toshiba SCiB Super Charge ion Battery offers excellent safety and a long-life cycle of over 10 years, even under conditions of constant rapid charging. In order to realize the outstanding characteristics of the SCiB, Toshiba adopted a new negative electrode material, new separators, a new electrolyte, and new manufacturing technology. The result is a highly reliable rechargeable battery with well-balanced performance, offering excellent safety, a long-life cycle and a rapid charge-discharge capability.

In addition to applications that include battery-powered bicycles, motorcycles, automated guided vehicles, electric forklift trucks and construction machinery, which already use rechargeable batteries, the Toshiba SCiB is also a promising candidate for emergency power sources, electric power regeneration in wind power systems and stabilization of electric power supply. The first SCiB will be shipped from March 2008.