Battery Technology News

Thursday, March 11, 2010

A123 Systems to make batteries for Navistar electric trucks
Battery technology company A123 Systems Inc. will be making its lithium ion battery systems for electric vehicles for truck company Navistar International Corp. under a new deal that will provide the batteries to a joint venture between Illinois-based Navistar and Japanese company Modec Inc.

Friday, January 15, 2010

A123 takes $23M stake in Fisker Automotive
A123 Systems Inc. reports it has invested about $23 million in California-based plug-in hybrid car maker Fisker Automotive Inc., and will partner with Fisker on battery development projects.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Boston-Power joins Swedish coalition to make Saab-derived electric car
Lithium-ion battery maker Boston-Power Inc. has joined a coalition of Swedish automotive and technology organizations that will receive a total of $12 million to commercialize high performance electric cars based on Saab Automobile AB designs.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

A123 reported to be seeking $250M in loans
Not even three months after it netted $249 million in stimulus dollars to build a manufacturing facility in Michigan, A123Systems Inc. is finalizing a deal with the U.S. Department of Energy for another $250 million, this time in loans for that facility’s construction.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

A123 begins public trading on $378M IPO
Lithium-ion battery maker A123Systems Inc. priced its initial public offering at $13.50 cents Thursday, which would bring in some $378 million in funding. A123 became the second venture-backed company in Massachusetts to go public in 2009.

Friday, September 18, 2009

VC-backed cleantechs eye A123’s IPO
Lithium-ion battery A123 Systems hopes to raise some $225 million through an IPO the week of Sept. 21. The event, the first venture-backed cleantech company to go public this year, will be closely watched by peer companies and industry insiders, many of whom consider the stock sale a bellwether for cleantech investments.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

A123 Systems poised to jumpstart IPO market
A123 Systems Inc., the Watertown maker of lithium ion batteries, appears to be on its way to filing an initial public offering, given the company’s move today to set terms of the offering.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

A123 to receive $249M for battery manufacturing
A123Systems Inc., the Watertown maker of lithium ion batteries, will receive $249.1 million in U.S. Department of Energy funding to construct a manufacturing plant to build and package batteries for electric vehicles. The company, as well as three other New England companies, were among the recipients of the $2.4 billion in grants awarded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Friday, July 31, 2009

Infrastructure initiatives await surge in electric vehicle sales
It’s not too hard to get an electric vehicle in New England. Charging it has been another story. That concern — being stranded without a plug in sight — has been a stumbling block to widespread electric-vehicle adoption, even as the speed and range of the vehicles improve.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Yardney joint venture to bring battery plant to Conn.
Yardney Technical Products Inc., a Connecticut-based maker of advanced battery systems for government and military agencies, has entered into a joint venture with a new California-based electric car company to design and manufacture advanced lithium-ion battery systems for automobiles.

Monday, June 1, 2009

Boston-Power building battery-making site in Auburn
Westborough-based advanced lithium ion battery maker Boston-Power Inc. announced this morning that it plans to build a 455,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Auburn, at the site of a former Filene’s Basement warehouse.

Monday, April 13, 2009

A123 Systems lands $15M funding from GE
Watertown-based A123 Systems Inc. has announced a $15 million investment from GE Energy Financial Services and GE Capital Equity to expand the company’s lithium ion battery manufacturing and smart grid capabilities in the U.S.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Weekly Update: Vehicle inventions, battery deals, new launches and drug lawsuits
Last week, Segway and General Motors announced a deal to make electric, two-wheeled vehicles; A123Systems was chosen to make electric car battery technology for Chrysler; Simeon Simeonov left Polaris to launch a startup advisory firm; and Genzyme sued generic drug maker Impax Laboratories.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

A123 to provide electric car batteries to Chrysler models
A123Systems Inc., a Watertown-based maker of advanced lithium-ion battery systems, has been selected by Chrysler LLC to be included in the automaker’s electric vehicle systems.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Lilliputian takes on big $28M round, Stata joins board
Wilmington-based Lilliputian Systems Inc., a secretive company that has been developing tiny fuel cells aimed at powering small consumer devices, has secured $28 million in new funding from new and existing investors.

Monday, March 16, 2009

HP now selling Boston-Power’s green notebook batteries
After much anticipation, Boston-Power Inc.’s Sonata lithium ion battery is now publicly available to Hewlett Packard Co. notebook customers, the company announced today. The batteries are available as accessories for 18 existing HP notebook model lines.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Boston-Power pondering Milwaukee factory site
Boston-Power Inc. is gaining attention in Milwaukee as city alderman Tony Zielinski and city officials try to entice the lithium-ion battery maker to open a factory there, according to published reports.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Boston-Power forms rechargeable battery partnership
Boston-Power Inc., a maker of next-generation lithium-ion batteries, has announced an expansion of its production capabilities for its Sonata line of rechargeable batteries through a partnership with GP Batteries, a consumer battery maker based in China and part of Gold Peak Industries (Holdings) Ltd.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

A123 Systems seeking $1.8B from Feds for U.S. battery plants
Watertown-based lithium ion battery maker A123Systems Inc. has announced plans to build an undisclosed number of automotive battery manufacturing facilities in the United States, and reports it has applied for $1.84 billion in government loans to fund the construction.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Boston-Power lands HP as first partner for green batteries
Westborough-based lithium ion battery developer Boston-Power Inc. reports it has landed its first manufacturing and distribution partner for its Sonata line of portable power devices. Hewlett Packard Co. will be the first computer manufacturer to offer the Sonata, an environmentally friendly next-generation battery.