Johnson Controls-Saft Opens Production Facility For Lithium-Ion Hybrid Vehicle Batteries

Johnson Controls–Saft Advanced Power Solutions announced the official opening of a 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 said to be the first of its kind in the world.

Johnson Controls-Saft initially invested €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 centers in Milwaukee, USA and Bordeaux, France; as well as system engineering, testing and integration centers in Milwaukee, USA; Hanover, Germany; and Shanghai, China.

Johnson Controls-Saft is a joint venture that has brought together Johnson Controls – a leading supplier of automotive batteries – with Saft, an advanced energy storage solutions provider with extensive Li-ion battery expertise.