1. Fisker Opens New Design Center in Michigan

Fisker Automotive today announced the opening of a new Engineering and Development Center in Pontiac, Michigan. The 34,000 square foot facility will house up to 200 engineers and designers, who will support the development and production program of Fisker Automotive’s first production car, the Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid.

“The available talent, supplier base and infrastructure in Michigan will help us reach our production goal,” said Fisker Automotive COO Bernhard Koehler. “While Fisker Automotive will continue to be headquartered in Irvine, California, the new facility will allow us the opportunity to collaborate with our Michigan supplier base and have everyone under one roof.”

11/11/2008 | 444 Hits | Print | Email

2. France to Invest Euro 400 Million for Low-Carbon Vehicles

The French President has announced support worth €400 million ($550m) over four years for the development and construction of low-carbon vehicles. 

Speaking at the Paris Motor Show, Nicolas Sarkozy said the money is intended "exclusively for the research and development of non-polluting vehicles, that is vehicles with the least possible emission of carbon dioxide, whether electric cars or hybrids."

09/11/2008 | 439 Hits | Print | Email

3. Tesla Receives $40 Million Financing Commitment

The board of directors of Tesla Motors has approved $40 million in convertible debt financing, based on commitments from almost all current major investors. The round will also be open to smaller current investors.

The financing will be used primarily to accelerate manufacturing of the Tesla Roadster. In addition, the funds will be used to expand Tesla’s electric powertrain supply business and continue future product development.

04/11/2008 | 538 Hits | Print | Email

4. Magna Electronics Acquires BluWav Systems; Expand Electric Propulsion Capabilities

Magna Electronics, an operating unit of Magna International, announced the acquisition of BluWāv Systems, a developer and supplier of electric and energy-management systems for hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles and battery electric vehicles.

BluWāv is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan and will enhance Magna Electronics’ position in developing and supplying components and systems to the emerging automotive market for electric and hybrid vehicles.

26/10/2008 | 591 Hits | Print | Email

5. GE Increases Investment in Battery Manufacturer A123Systems

GE is recharging the electrification of transportation by making its sixth equity investment in lithium-ion battery manufacturer A123Systems. GE invested $30 million in A123’s $102 million Series E financing, making it the battery manufacturer’s largest single cash investor – at 9 percent ownership.

The investments were made by GE Commercial Finance - Equity and GE Energy Financial Services, bringing GE’s combined total investment in A123Systems to $55 million.

22/10/2008 | 564 Hits | Print | Email

6. AC Propulsion and Yulon Group Sign EV Agreement

AC Propulsion has entered into an electric vehicle development agreement with Yulon Group. AC Propulsion designs and manufactures propulsion systems for electric and hybrid automobiles, licenses technology, and sells hardware to automakers worldwide.

Yulon Group, founded 1951 in Taiwan, is a leader in automotive information technology and operates internationally.

19/10/2008 | 631 Hits | Print | Email

7. Altairnano Receives $540,000 Order for HEV Battery Packs

Altair Nanotechnologies, a provider of materials and products for power and energy systems, announced it received an initial $540,000 order for four hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) demonstration battery packs from DesignLine International.

The HEV battery packs will be utilized in buses for three city transit customers, and one HEV battery pack will be used for a modular testing program.

19/10/2008 | 575 Hits | Print | Email

8. Ener1 Acquires Leading Korean Lithium-ion Battery Cell Producer

Ener1 announced it has agreed to acquire an 83% interest in Enertech International, one of South Korea's leading lithium-ion battery cell producers. The purchase follows the recent announcement of the company's plans to expand the manufacturing capacity of its lithium-ion automotive battery subsidiary, EnerDel, based in Indiana.

The acquisition is intended to both broaden and expand Ener1's production capabilities at a time when automakers worldwide are preparing to launch a new generation of hybrid and electric vehicles.

19/10/2008 | 406 Hits | Print | Email

9. Johnson Controls-Saft Announces Second Li-Ion Hybrid Battery Production Contract

Johnson Controls-Saft will be providing lithium-ion batteries for BMW's 7 Series ActiveHybrid car, currently being showcased at the Paris motor show. The lithium-ion cells and modules will be produced at the Johnson Controls-Saft production facility in Nersac, France.

The facility, which is the world's first production facility for lithium-ion batteries for HEVs, opened in January 2008 and is scaleable as demand increases.

15/10/2008 | 634 Hits | Print | Email

10. Taiwan Textile Research and Delta Electronics Cooperate on Advanced Energy Storage Technology

Taiwan Textile Research Institute (TTRI) and Delta Electronics, Inc. (Delta) announced their cooperation in the field of flexible energy storage textile and advanced energy storage technology.

Currently the components used for energy storage are solid and non-flexible. TTRI has leveraged their expertise to integrate textiles with energy storage materials to develop an innovative product that is flexible, stores energy efficiently, and is also affordable.

15/10/2008 | 370 Hits | Print | Email