The U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium LLC (USABC) has awarded Cobasys, a subsidiary of SB LiMotive, an $8.4 million contract to develop high-energy lithium-ion batteries for use in electric vehicle applications.
USABC is a subsidiary of the United States Council for Automotive Research LLC (USCAR), the collaborative automotive technology organization of Chrysler Group LLC, Ford Motor Company and General Motors Company, whose mission is to further strengthen the technology base of the domestic auto industry through cooperative research and development.
The competitively bid contract Cobasys award from USABC is co-funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and includes a 50 percent cost-share.
‘We are proud to be participating in this forward-thinking collaboration to develop advanced technologies for the U.S. automotive market,’ said Reinhardt Peper, CEO of Cobasys. ‘USABC’s commitment to this project is evident through its clearly delineated project timeline and deliverables.’
Cobasys has been contracted for the design, development, delivery and validation of conforming design-intent cells, and through the design, development, delivery and verification of a 40 kWh technology demonstration battery pack.
The focus of the project is to produce high-energy density cells and packs for electric vehicle applications to increase the current state-of-the-art battery-pack density by 50 percent in a three-year period.
‘The work we are doing with USABC allows us to align our development with the requirements of North American automakers in the pre-competitive development stage to ensure we deliver the highest quality and safety in battery technology,’ said Peper.
‘Our work on electric vehicle projects demonstrates our ability to align our developments with our customer’s expectations, and thus deliver innovative, cost effective products,’ he added.
Cobasys, with two sites in Orion, Mich., and Springboro, Ohio, was acquired by SB LiMotive in 2009. SB LiMotive was established in September 2008 as a joint venture between Bosch and Samsung SDI. The objective of the alliance is to adapt lithium-ion battery technology to the requirements of automobiles, and thus explore the market for hybrid and electric vehicles. Together, the companies will have invested approximately $500 million in the joint venture by 2013.
SB LiMotive bundles the know-how of both its parent companies. Samsung SDI brings its extensive large-scale production experience into the partnership as well as manufacturing competence in the area of lithium-ion cell production. Additionally Samsung is an innovation and development leader in lithium-ion technology for use in a wide range of applications, including laptops, cell phones and power tools. Bosch contributes its comprehensive automotive systems competence which is being applied to integrating the lithium-ion technology into the vehicle. Bosch has extensive experience in hybrid and electric drive technology as well as power electronics, electric motors, transmissions and DC/DC converters.
Today, SB LiMotive has its global foothold in all three major economic regions of the world: Asia, Europe and the Americas. The company has its headquarters and cell development and validation departments in Giheung, Korea and manufacturing facility in Ulsan. In Stuttgart-Feuerbach, Germany, battery systems are developed and prototypes built. At its location in Germany, SB LiMotive has built up a global team for sales, marketing, and management of key accounts. SB LiMotive employs approximately 700 associates worldwide.
