Toyota retains 25-year-old battery technology but invests in updates: 'The basic design has not changed'

Toyota will continue using its 25-year-old nickel-metal hydride battery technology with a slight update.

The Japanese automaker has updated its 25-year-old nickel-metal hydride battery technology to bipolar nickel-metal hydride battery technology, as released in 2021 with the Aqua and Prius C.

“We started developing this new type of nickel-metal hydride battery because, after 20 years of using it, there was a record of achievement,” Motoyoshi Okumura, head of Toyota's advanced battery development department, told HT Auto. “But the basic design has not changed significantly. So we decided to take on the challenge of increasing the output.”

The upgraded nickel-metal battery technology allows for 1.5 times more power and 1.4 times as many cells in the same space, CarBuzz reported.

Retaining their nickel-metal battery technology means the company can continue moving into the future car market without significant investment into new battery technology.

Toyota believes the technology is still relevant. "Toyota saw no reason to abandon a proven and reliable technology just because some perceived it as old," according to CarBuzz.