GM talking sense - A123 LiIon testing this year

Summary::
GM will be testing LiIon batteries from two Tier 1 automotive suppliers in the Saturn Vue plug-in hybrid this year. One of them will be the A123 systems supercell!


Article:

DETROIT – General Motors Corp. today announced it has awarded advanced battery development contracts to two suppliers to design and test lithium-ion batteries for use in the Saturn Vue Green Line plug-in hybrid SUV.

One contract has been awarded to Johnson Controls – Saft Advanced Power Solutions, LLC, a joint venture between Tier 1 automotive supplier Johnson Controls and Saft. Another agreement was signed with Cobasys, based in Orion, Mich., a joint venture between Chevron Technology Ventures LLC, a subsidiary of Chevron Corp., and Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. Cobasys will work in partnership with A123Systems, a privately held company based in Watertown, Mass., to develop lithium-ion battery technology.

. . .

GM will be actively looking for more partners to bring lithium-ion technology to production. "It's important to point out that these two agreements are by no means the only avenues we're pursuing," Gray said. "We are fully committed to forging the necessary partnerships to produce battery solutions that will meet our aggressive vehicle program targets."

. . .

GM is co-developing the 2-mode hybrid system with DaimlerChrysler and BMW Group for use in front-, rear- and four-wheel drive applications in an array of car and truck models. The 2-mode system debuts later this year in the Chevrolet Tahoe/GMC Yukon Hybrid SUVs.

[Full Article]

[Editted by TonyPSchaefer: Please do not post entire articles without a link to the full article]