David Roberts, CEO of US lithium-ion battery manufacturing firm EnerDel, has resigned, the company has announced.
Roberts will be replaced on an interim basis by chief operating officer Michael Canada, a former Altairnano vice president and general manager.
EnerDel, which had received a $118m development grant from the US Department of Energy, filed for bankruptcy in 2011, citing slack EV demand and heavy competition from Chinese and South Korean battery makers. In 2012 the firm appointed Roberts to lead it through a strategy change, shifting its focus from electric vehicle batteries to energy storage systems for power grids. However, a lack of contracts forced the firm to lay off workers.
“It has been my honor to lead EnerDel over the past two years as the company stabilized and built a sustainable business model in the fickle space of lithium-ion batteries,” Roberts said in a statement.
“I believe that EnerDel is now positioned for an exciting growth stage as the market recognizes the value of implementing energy storage strategies today. There is still work to be done in the industry, and I think that Mike [Canada] will do a great job solidifying EnerDel’s spot as a market leader.”
A statement issued by Canada said EnerDel “is at the right spot strategically to capitalize on the growing understanding of how lithium-ion energy storage can facilitate our broader goals of energy security and independence, as well as the sustainable impact of integrating renewables on our grid. Our focus will be on delivering beyond our current customers’ expectations and cultivating new customers based on our historic success.”
