A123 Systems has been selected to develop battery packs for a new, 2012 model year electric car from Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC), the largest automaker in China.
Under the terms of the letter of intent, A123 will use its cells to develop a customized battery pack that it will provide to Advanced Traction Battery Systems Co. (ATBS), the joint venture established between A123 and SAIC for production.
The electric car, due in 2012, will have a range of about 100 miles between charges, said Jason Forcier, vice president of A123’s automotive group. The battery maker didn’t say how many vehicles will be built.
In addition to this new electric car, A123 currently supplies battery technology to SAIC for several of its other electric drive-train vehicles in development, including the Roewe 750 hybrid electric sedan and the Roewe 550 plug-in hybrid electric sedan.
