Bill Wallace showing off the Volt cell and battery pack - Click above for high-res image gallery
Back in January at the Detroit Auto Show, GM's former CEO Rick Wagoner announced that the automaker would be building its own battery packs for the upcoming Chevrolet Volt using lithium ion cells produced by LG Chem. The pack manufacturing would take place at a new facility in southeast Michigan but the company didn't say precisely where. The Detroit News is reporting today that the factory will be in Brownstown Township just south of Detroit. That would put the factory relatively close to the Hamtramck assembly plant where the Volt will be built. The proposed location is also not far from two major Detroit Airports, including Willow Run that serves mostly cargo shipping. That would allow for convenient deliveries of the cells which will initially be made in South Korea until LG Chem gets its Michigan manufacturing facility running.
The News is reporting that GM won't be making a formal announcement until at least August. GM spokeswoman Susan Garavaglia confirmed to ABG this morning "We have been having discussions, but we aren't ready to confirm any details" when asked about the plant. Brownstown has apparently approved tax breaks for the plant.
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