1e lithium-ion battery factory for hybrid cars in France
by Claude Canellas
NERSAC, Charente (Reuters) - The world's first lithium-ion battery for hybrid and electric vehicles was inaugurated Thursday in Nersac, Charente, by the joint venture Johnson Controls-Saft
The plant, built in 14 months on the Saft site in the industrial area of Nersac, near Angoulême, required an investment of 15 million euros.
In the second quarter, it will launch the industrial production of batteries intended to equip mainly the Mercedes S Class 400 Hybrid starting from the second half of the year 2009.
According to the evolution of a market estimated at four million hybrid vehicles in the world on the 2015 horizon, the highly automated plant will achieve a production of 5 10 million batteries per year.
"Lithium-ion technology makes it possible to have batteries of half the weight," said Franck Cecchi, director of the Nersac plant, during the inaugural visit.
This technology is already very powerful for all electric and hybrid vehicles and is the only one that can be used today to equip vehicles with electric and rechargeable electric propulsion.
"The cost of manufacturing a lithium-ion battery is not significant today. It is several thousand dollars but it will drop with the ramp-up of production and a better distribution of our suppliers," said Alex Molinaroli, President of Johnson Controls.
the rest of the article here =>
http://www.boursorama.com/infos/actuali ... ws=5098537