GM to Invest $43 Million in Michigan Factory to Make Li-ion Batteries for Hybrids

GM to Invest $43 Million in Michigan Factory to Make Li-ion Batteries for Hybrids

By Scott Doggett August 13, 2009

General Motors Corp. announced today that is investing $43 million in a Detroit-area factory that will make lithium-ion battery packs for the Chevrolet Volt and other extended-range electric vehicles.

It will be the first lithium-ion battery manufacturing plant in the U.S. operated by a major automaker and it demonstrates GM's commitment to produce more fuel-efficient vehicles.

The automaker said the plant, which will be located in Brownstown Township, Michigan, will provide more than 100 advanced technology jobs and will be part of a wholly owned subsidiary called GM Subsystem Manufacturing LLC.

Local and state incentives, along with Recovery Act funding announced last week by the U.S. Department of Energy, are helping to make the facility possible.

The investment includes renovation and lease costs for the 160,000-square-foot landfill-free facility, new machinery and equipment, and special tooling.

With the exception of specialized battery machinery and equipment, GM will be reusing equipment from other GM facilities. Equipment installation is under way and production will start in the fourth quarter of 2010 to support the launch of the Volt, GM said.

GM President and CEO Fritz Henderson, at a press conference earlier today, said that "developing and producing advanced batteries is a key step in GM's journey to become the leader in electric vehicles."

The GM Brownstown Battery Assembly facility will include three primary assembly areas: battery module pre-assembly, final assembly and the battery pack main line.

The pre-assembly area is where cells will be processed and installed into one of three battery modules, which comprise a single battery pack.

The module final assembly area is where final assembly and testing of the three modules required for each battery pack will take place.

And in the battery pack main line area, the battery will receive its "final dressing," including attachments of hoses, straps and electrical connections. The main line is also where battery pack final testing, verification and packaging for shipment takes place.

GM says the Volt, which is scheduled to start production in late 2010 as a 2011 model, will be able to travel up to 40 miles on electricity from a single battery charge and can extend its overall range to more than 300 miles with its flex fuel-powered engine-generator.

In June, GM opened the largest and most technologically advanced battery lab in the U.S. on its Technical Center campus in Warren, Michigan. The Brownstown Battery Assembly plant will work closely with the Global Battery Systems Lab in Warren, which is dedicated to GM's advanced battery development and testing for electrically driven vehicles.

Scott Doggett:  is an AutoObserver.com Associate Editor.