JR East unveils lithium-ion battery-powered rail cars

UTSUNOMIYA, Japan - East Japan Railway Co.'s newly developed train cars equipped with rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are unveiled on Jan. 29, 2014, in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture. With five large-capacity batteries fitted underneath, the new train cars will be the first of their kind to be deployed for practical use beginning in March, charging up along electrified sections of track while running on the storage batteries on non-electrified sections.