24 March 2014
Details
LIVONIA, Mich
A123 Systems LLC,
a developer and manufacturer of advanced
Nanophosphate® lithium iron phosphate
batteries and systems,
today announced an agreement
to divest of its grid storage business and other assets
related to energy storage
for telecom and IT data storage applications.
About A123 Grid Energy Storage
A123 is increasingly focused on
the transportation market with a particular emphasis
on micro-hybrids.
This rapidly growing application segment is attractive
because automotive OEMs around the world are steadily
turning towards simpler forms of electrification
in their mainstream high-volume vehicle lines
to address the ever-increasing regulatory requirements
of lower emissions and better fuel economy around the world.
A123’s battery technology is very well suited
to the requirements of this market and
the company is currently producing
12-volt micro-hybrid batteries
for numerous programs across
three vehicle manufacturers.
A123 also continues to actively serve and
grow its customer base in the fields of
hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully electric vehicles globally.
With the recent integration of battery production
and engineering facilities in Hangzhou, China,
which were previously under the management of
Wanxiang EV, A123 has expanded
its battery technology portfolio to
include additional products
well suited to the requirements of
electric cars and buses.
“Our move to sharpen focus on
current and future customers
in the global transportation market
demonstrates strategic clarity in our business.
Our customers and partners around the world
will benefit from the organization focusing
its R&D strength and system engineering capabilities o
n clear priorities”
said Jason Forcier, CEO of A123 Systems.
“We look forward to continued growth
as a provider of leading-edge energy storage technology
to the world’s vehicle manufacturers
as they continue to develop
the most economical forms of electrification.”
The divested businesses are being sold to
NEC Corporation of Japan
which intends to incorporate them into
its Smart Energy Business Unit.
The former A123 Energy Solutions facilities
in Westborough, Massachusetts and Chesterfield,
Missouri are included in the deal.
As part of the transaction, A123 will retain
all of its cell manufacturing locations globally
including those in Michigan and China and
become a key cell supplier to NEC.
WWW.CHEMWINFO.COM BY KHUN PHICHAI
