Grids

Bosch to manufacture lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles

It is planned that the line will produce the first samples for trial purposes from 2012, and will then be extended until it reaches an annual production volume of more than 200,000 cells by 2015. Subsequent preparations for series production are planned for marine applications.

Bosch will be joined in this pilot project by BASF on the materials side and by ThyssenKrupp System Engineering as a specialist for process plant engineering. It is hoped this will drive forward the development of a European supplier network for materials and production machinery.

Bosch will gradually increase the size of the project team to roughly 80 associates. They will work to develop materials for anodes, cathodes, and electrolytes, and also examine their interactions. The knowledge they gain will flow directly into new manufacturing processes.

This focus on the application of the technology needed for the next cell generation to the non-automotive area is an effective complement to the activities that are pooled in Bosch’s joint venture with Samsung SDI, SB LiMotive.

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. In the areas of automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods, and building technology, some 285,000 associates generated sales of 47.3 billion euros in fiscal 2010. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its more than 350 subsidiaries and regional companies in over 60 countries. If its sales and service partners are included, then Bosch is represented in roughly 150 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the foundation for further growth. Bosch spent 3.8 billion euros for research and development in 2010, and applied for over 3,800 patents worldwide. With all its products and services, Bosch enhances the quality of life by providing solutions which are both innovative and beneficial.

Bosch is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2011. The company was set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as a “Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering.” The special ownership structure of Robert Bosch GmbH guarantees the entrepreneurial freedom of the Bosch Group, making it possible for the company to plan over the long term and to undertake significant up-front investments in the safeguarding of its future. Ninety-two percent of the share capital of Robert Bosch GmbH is held by Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, a charitable foundation. The majority of voting rights are held by Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG, an industrial trust. The entrepreneurial ownership functions are carried out by the trust. The remaining shares are held by the Bosch family and by Robert Bosch GmbH.

www.bosch.com