Honda, GS Yuasa JV To Make Lithium-Ion Batteries for Hybrids From 2011
09 April 2009
The Nikkei reports that Blue Energy Co, the newly-formed joint venture between Honda and GS Yuasa (earlier post) will begin mass-producing high-performance lithium ion batteries for hybrid vehicles in the spring of 2011.
This 51-49 joint venture of Yuasa and Honda is expected to start building a lithium ion battery plant this month at Yuasa’s Osadano plant, in Kyoto Prefecture, at an estimated initial cost of 10 billion yen [US$100 million] or so. Blue Energy plans to gradually increase the number of production lines, so the eventual investment in the plant will likely come to around 20 billion yen. The production is expected to begin at a level sufficient for 100,000 vehicles a year.
Honda plans to start using lithium ion batteries with the hybrid version of its Civic passenger car, whose next-generation version is slated to launch around 2011.
Comments