The U.S. is not exactly a leader in battery production at the moment. Most of the copper tops that power our hybrid cars come from other countries, mostly in Asia. That may soon change. Hot on the heels of General Motors' announcement this week that battery packs for the 2011 Chevy Volt would be built in Michigan with LG Chem, Jennifer Granholm, the state's governor, signed a bill into a law that provides $335 million in refundable tax credits to companies willing to develop and build batteries in the state.
As the U.S. auto market shrinks, no state is hurt worse than Michigan, and Governor Granholm has been doing whatever it takes to keep her state relevant as consumer tastes, the market and the entire industry evolves. She's betting batteries will play a big part in the years to come, and she's probably right. It will be some time, however, before we know if the $335 million bill will be a large enough carrot to attract new business to the region. But at this point, Detroit and Michigan just need a little luster.
[Source: WWJ.com, Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty ]
As the U.S. auto market shrinks, no state is hurt worse than Michigan, and Governor Granholm has been doing whatever it takes to keep her state relevant as consumer tastes, the market and the entire industry evolves. She's betting batteries will play a big part in the years to come, and she's probably right. It will be some time, however, before we know if the $335 million bill will be a large enough carrot to attract new business to the region. But at this point, Detroit and Michigan just need a little luster.
[Source: WWJ.com, Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty ]
Sign in to post
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Continue