The 291,000-square foot facility is located in the Michigan state (Detroit suburb of Livonia) where it will focus on manufacturing prismatic cells and assemble battery packs for electric and hybrid cars.
Even the president Barack Obama has appreciated the factory made thanks to a $249 million grant from the Department of Energy under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Each prismatic cell manufactured by A123 Systems produces 20 amp hours and 66 watt hours.
According to company officials, the new plant will expand A123’s battery manufacturing capabilities from 100 megawatt-hours to 750 megawatt-hours by the end of 2011.
“This is a good example of how federal investment in batteries and charging infrastructure is creating jobs and accelerating a new era of electric vehicles. America is closer than ever to powering its transportation sector with electricity thus reducing our dependence on foreign oil and greenhouse gas emissions,” said Brian Wynne, the Electric Drive Transportation Association (EDTA) President.
[Source: AutoblogGreen / Wired]
