LG Chem has finally begun producing lithium-ion batteries for the Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid vehicle at a facility in Holland, Michigan. The factory has sat idle since 2011, with 200 staff employed, because slow EV sales made it uneconomic to built batteries in the US.
Until now, batteries were shipped from Korea, but since Volt sales have risen by 9.16% over the last year, there is sufficient work for US battery production to begin.
The factory will be able to produce up to 60 000 packs each year – well beyond the 2013 sales figures of 11 643 for the Volt.
General Motors is still the primary customer for the US$300 million Michigan factory that was built two years ago and until now, had effectively been unused.
