Compact Power, Inc. Wins Lithium-ion Battery Contract for New GM Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle

Compact Power, Inc. (CPI), recently announced that it has been chosen by General Motors (GM) to provide complete lithium-ion battery packs for a Buick plug-in hybrid SUV that will debut in 2011. The battery packs will be made at CPI’s R&D and manufacturing facility in Troy, Mich. Battery cells for the packs will come from CPI’s parent company, LG Chem, in Korea.

“We are very excited to have won this contract and be partnering again with GM on its new plug-in hybrid vehicle,” said Prabhakar Patil, CEO of Compact Power, Inc. “It tells us that we are on track in developing high power and high energy lithium-ion batteries that the industry needs as it moves toward the electrification of vehicles that lessen our dependence on foreign oil.”

“We’ve made great progress on our plug-in hybrid technology and LG Chem and CPI are key partners in bringing this vehicle to market in 2011,” said Bob Kruse, executive director, global vehicle engineering-hybrids, electric vehicles and batteries, General Motors Corp.

The battery pack will be leveraging GM’s Voltec technology, such as the lithium-ion cells and module design currently being used on the Chevrolet Volt, which was developed collaboratively by LG Chem, Compact Power and GM over the past two years. The pack will use the same cells as the Volt (using manganese spinel chemistry), and include sophisticated electronic controls.

“This contract gives us an opportunity to showcase our ability to manufacture full lithium-ion battery packs for automotive applications. Engineering, manufacturing and program management to meet exacting automotive standards are in the DNA of our company and coupled with LG Chem’s expertise in industry-leading cell technology, provide us an advantage in producing high-quality lithium-ion battery packs,” added Patil. 

Compact Power, Inc. (CPI) is a North American subsidiary of LG Chem, one of the world’s largest producers of lithium-ion batteries for automotive hybrid electric vehicles and non-automotive (commercial and military) markets. The company was formed in 2000 in the United States and is headquartered in Troy, Mich., at the heart of the automotive industry. CPI’s mission is to become the supplier of choice for lithium-ion battery technology. To learn more about CPI, please visit: www.compactpower.com.