Toshiba boasts battery that recharges 90% in five minutes

Toshiba will begin shipping in March a quick-charging new battery for forklifts, construction machinery and other industrial use, the electronics maker said Tuesday.

Toshiba Corp.'s Super Charge ion Battery, or SCiB, can recharge to 90 percent of its full capacity in less than five minutes and has a life cycle of more than 10 years, spokeswoman Hiroko Mochida said.

A newcomer in rechargeable batteries, Toshiba said the new lithium-ion battery will eventually be used in hybrid and electric cars. The company is not giving a date for that application but doesn't expect it until about 2010, Mochida said.

The new battery will first be used in electric bicycles, motorcycles, forklifts and construction machinery.