“We will consider building factories, including one overseas, if demand becomes full blown,” Sony Senior Vice President Shigeki Ishizuka told reporters at a new factory for building battery devices in Motomiya, Fukushima Prefecture. The company will also consider developing batteries for gasoline-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, Ishizuka said.

The Japanese electronics maker is currently developing a lithium-ion battery with a long life that is resistant to deterioration even when recharged repeatedly.

Sony has developed 1.2 kWh energy storage modules using rechargeable Li-ion batteries with olivine-type lithium-ion iron phosphate as the cathode material. (Earlier post.) Used in conjunction with a control device, the module can be as a backup power supply for data servers or cell phone reception towers. Alternatively it can be an energy storage system for residential use.

In addition, the module can be incorporated into recharging stations for electric vehicles as the technology for the built-in rechargeable olivine-type lithium-ion iron phosphate cells facilitates rapid recharging and high power output.