Infrastructure

US battery firm Navitas is expanding production of its Starlifter line of lithium-ion forklift batteries from a new manufacturing facility in Michigan.

Navitas has secured a 100,000 sq ft building to boost production by an additional 5,000 systems annually, in line with the company’s reported “almost 200% year-over-year growth in revenues”.  

The new facility is near Navitas’ existing 48,000 sq ft R&D and manufacturing facility in Ann Arbor.

Alexander Technologies Europe has announced expansion plans in order to keep pace with rising demand for its lithium-ion products.

The expansion plans include an additional manufacturing facility in Peterlee, UK, and a “significant investment in its battery and charger manufacturing capabilities.”

CEO Michael Shirley described the expansion plans as “a major investment for the company” which “represent a significant increase to our current footprint, from 16,000 sq. ft. to 40,000 sq. ft.”

The social infrastructure arm of the Toshiba Group is to invest JPY16.2 billion (US$144.5m) to ramp up production of its SCiB rechargeable lithium-ion batteries by building an additional production facility.

The three-storey 27,000 sq. m facility, to be built at Toshiba Infrastructure Systems and Solutions’ (TISS) Yokohama complex, will also serve as a ‘production technology development centre’.

Toshiba said this would allow the firm “to respond positively to potential future expansion of the lithium-ion battery unit”.