DETROIT – General Motors’ long awaited announcement of the manufacturer for the lithium-ion battery for its Chevrolet Volt was praised by Governor Jennifer Granholm as another sign that Michigan will be the center for advanced battery technology in the United States.
General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner announced on Monday at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit that the company had selected the Korean company LG Chem to manufacture the batteries for the new plug-in hybrid Volt.
In addition, Wagoner announced the company will build the largest advanced battery development center in the United States in Michigan.
Also, GM announced it will form a battery research partnership with the University of Michigan to help train battery engineers.
The announcement comes a week after the firm A123 announced it would build an advanced battery development center in the state.
Under the proposed manufacturing plan, LG will manufacture the components of the battery in Korea and then final assembly will take place in Michigan. Initially, the announcement could mean at least 100 new jobs.
The state has also taken steps to ensure that GM builds the Volt in the state, a move the state hopes could mean more than 14,000 new jobs in the future.
Granholm said Monday the GM announcement was another sign that Michigan’s strategy to promote itself as a leader in alternative energy development and will lead to more jobs. The GM announcement, she said, shows “Michigan is the place to be.”
The development not only means welcome jobs to the state but will also help the state lead the nation away from the dependence of foreign oil.
U.S. Sen. Carl Levin (D-Detroit) also welcomed the announcement, but he and U.S. Rep. Sander Levin (D-Southfield) both said it also underscored the need for the United States to invest in advanced battery manufacturing.
Earlier, before GM made the announcement, Levin called for the United States to provide at least $1 billion in grants to promote advanced battery manufacturing across the nation.
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