World’s First Lithium-ion Battery Factory Built

Johnson Controls-Saft Advanced Power Solutions announced today the official opening of its new lithium-ion automotive battery manufacturing facility.
The plant, based in Nersac, France, is dedicated to the manufacture of advanced lithium-ion batteries for hybrid, plug-in, fuel cell and electric vehicles and is the first of its kind in the world.
Johnson Controls-Saft initially invested euro 15 million in the facility, which is producing batteries for global automotive customers.
It has been built to be scaleable, so that as demand increases it can increase production capacity to meet customer and market demands.
“This manufacturing facility demonstrates our ongoing commitment to hybrid technology,” said Mary Ann Wright who leads the joint venture and is vice president and general manager of Johnson Controls’ hybrid battery business.
“We are the first company to produce the batteries for the automotive industry and have recently announced a number of production and development contracts.
“We are confident that we will continue to be a global leader in the development and manufacture of advanced energy solutions for automotive batteries that make cars more energy efficient.”
In addition to the plant in Nersac, Johnson Controls-Saft has research and development centres in Milwaukee, USA and Bordeaux, France; as well as system engineering, testing and integration centres in Milwaukee, USA; Hanover, Germany; and Shanghai, China.