Volkswagen has joined forces with leading battery developer Sanyo to work on new lithium-ion technology for electric
vehicles.

The partnership aims to come up with new and very efficient high-performance power storage systems.

“Our focus in future will be directed more strongly at making electrically-powered automobiles alongside ones driven by increasingly efficient combustion engines,” said Prof Martin Winterkorn, CEO of the Volkswagen Group. “Drivetrain electrification is the way forward if we wish to secure mobility in tomorrow’s world.

“This will involve energy recovery.

“The whole idea will be to no avail, however, as long as we do not have powerful energy storage systems at our disposal and as long as vehicle operations are not in tune with customer demands.”

Volkswagen hopes to be able to employ lithium-ion technology in its first vehicles by 2010.