Monday, May 25, 2009

Lithium Energy Japan building second Li-Ion plant for Mitsubishi i MiEV

Lithium Energy Japan, a joint venture between GS Yuasa Corp., Mitsubishi Motors Corp. and Mitsubishi Corp., plans to construct a battery factory in response to Mitsubishi Motors’ plans to boost production of its i MiEV electric vehicle.

The joint venture will spend ¥2-3 billion (US$21-32 million) to build the lithium-ion battery factory in Kyoto. This facility will reportedly have sufficient capacity to produce battery packs for 15,000 vehicles a year starting in the autumn of 2010.

Lithium Energy Japan had initially intended to produce cells for packs for up to 2,000 vehicles a year at GS Yuasa’s main plant, in Kyoto, for a range of customers. In 2008, the company began construction on a factory in Kusatsu, Shiga Prefecture, with eventual planned capacity for approximately 10,000 vehicles. At the time, the company said it was planning to add a second plant and double output by 2012.

With the rapid increase in demand for lower emitting vehicles, Mitsubishi Motors recently doubled its planned i MiEV production for fiscal 2011 to 20,000 following an agreement to supply the car to France’s PSA Peugeot Citroen Group.

In April, Blue Energy Co., Ltd., the new joint venture company between GS Yuasa and Honda for the manufacturing, sales and R&D of lithium-ion batteries for hybrid vehicles, held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction of its Osadano Plant in Fukuchiyama, Kyoto.

Source: Green Car Congress

No comments:

Post a Comment