Electrovaya To Debut Tablet PCs With Up To 15-Hour Runtime

Electrovaya, based here, develops batteries with the highest power density in the world and plans to apply that technology to the Tablet PC world, said Sankar Das Gupta, CEO of the company.

Electrovaya is working with a Taiwan-based portable PC manufacturer, which Gupta declined to identify, to build a Tablet PC that includes the company's batteries. The batteries come in two versions, a 120-watt-hour model with a runtime of up to 10 hours, and a 160-watt-hour model with a runtime of up to 15 hours, he said. "This is what will make the Tablet PC work," he said.

Gupta said coverage of the Tablet PC's wireless mode has been negative because of battery life issues. "The typical PC has about 27 watt-hours, which gives about two-and-a-half to three hours running time," he said. "But that's not enough for mobile users."

Gupta expects to have a "reasonable" quantity of his company's Tablet PC available in November, with larger quantities shortly thereafter. Electrovaya's manufacturing partner has the capacity to build 600 units a day, he said.

While some Electrovaya Tablet PCs will be sold direct, the majority will be available to solution providers via distributors such as Ingram Micro and D&H Distributing. These distributors currently carry the company's PowerPad range of high-density rechargeable notebook PC batteries.