A123 Systems opens Livonia battery plant, will create thousands of jobs

A123 Systems is getting geared up for some more investment in Metro Detroit now that it is partnering with Navistar to build lithium-ion batteries in Livonia.The Massachusetts-based company opens its Livonia lithium-ion battery plant this month and will produce new advancements in automotive electrification technology. This is expected to spur more job growth in the company’s facility in Livonia and its research and development center in Ann Arbor.”A123 expects to create thousands of jobs in Michigan, and the details of those jobs are still being determined,” company spokeswoman Kerry Farrell wrote in an email.A123 Systems will develop battery systems for Navistar’s electric vehicle, a commercial truck that is purpose-built to be electric. That means it creates zero tailpipe emissions, while an equivalent diesel-powered vehicle produces as much as 10 tons of greenhouse gases annually. Its battery pack enables Navistar EV to travel approximately 100 miles on pure electricity before recharging. The battery pack will be capable of a rapid charge rate.The vehicle is set to launch this summer.Source: Kerry Farrell, spokeswoman for A123 SystemsWriter: Jon Zemke