SB LiMotive has won a contract to supply lithium-ion batteries for Chrysler’s upcoming electric vehicle, the Fiat 500EV, that will be launched in the U.S. in 2012 as part of the Italian automaker’s tie-up with Chrysler.
The lithium-ion battery cells will be produced in a newly-built production line in Ulsan, South Korea, while the battery packs will be assembled by SB LiMotive’s U.S. subsidiary Cobasys in Ohio, the company said in a statement Sunday.
SB LiMotive, a 50-50 joint venture between Samsung SDI and Germany’s Robert Bosch, was established in 2008 in a drive by the Samsung Group to foster the lucrative battery business, expecting rapid growth in the hybrid electric vehicle market.
Last year, SB LiMotive was named by BMW AG as battery supplier for the German luxury car maker’s upcoming zero-emission Megacity Electric Vehicle, which will be launched in 2013 under a sub-brand of BMW.
