Mitsubishi Plans Lithium-Ion Battery Factory to Meet Demand From EV Segment
By Scott Doggett August 11, 2008
Mitsubishi Motors Corp. announced Monday that it will build a factory to meet an expected fivefold increase in demand for lithium-ion batteries for use in electric vehicles.
The plant will open after April 2009 and have initial output of 200,000 battery cells per year -- enough for 2,000 cars.
Mitsubishi will ramp up capacity to equip 10,000 vehicles "shortly afterward," amid higher hopes for its i MiEV plug-in electric vehicle (below), the company said in a statement. The four-passenger i MiEV, which runs on LEV50 lithium-ion batteries (above right), goes on sale in Japan next summer.
Mitsubishi's new factory will be operated by Lithium Energy Japan, a joint venture with GS Yuasa Corp. and Mitsubishi Corp. It will be located in the western prefecture of Shiga.
Earlier plans had called for GS Yuasa to make the batteries at an existing plant in Kyoto, with annual output for 1,000 vehicles. But the partners decided that a bigger plant was needed to meet growing demand for fuel-efficient cars.
As Green Car Advisor reported last week, the all-electric, zero-emissions i MiEV will be tested in California this year to evaluate a U.S. launch.
The i MiEV is the centerpiece of Mitsubishi's effort to leapfrog Japanese rivals in the green-car race. Lithium-ion batteries are seen as critical to that effort because they are lighter and more powerful than the nickel-metal hydride batteries used in most hybrid and all-electric vehicles today.
Rivals such Nissan Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. also are developing lithium-ion batteries. Nissan has a joint venture with NEC Corp. and plans to start production next year. Toyota is teaming with Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. on its own battery technology.
Scott Doggett, Contributor
LEAVE A COMMENT