US-based automobile manufacturer Ford Motor has opened a new $8m battery lab at the University of Michigan to develop energy storage devices for the country's auto industry.
Out of the total investment, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) has contributed $5m; Ford invested $2.1m and the remaining $900,000 from U-M College of Engineering.
The lab will be located at the U-M Energy Institute within the newly renovated Phoenix Memorial Laboratory.
Available for use by firm, the lab will also allow students to utilize equipment while working closely with experts.
MEDC automotive senior vice president Nigel Francis said: "The battery prototyping facility at the U-M Energy Institute will be a valuable resource for our automotive industry going forward."
The Energy Institute envisions the new facility as a safe zone for non-competitive collaboration.
Battery developers will have the flexibility to do detailed post-testing analysis, revealing changes to the battery's chemical microstructure after operating.
U-M Energy Institute director Mark Barteau said: "Better technologies for energy storage are critical, both for making electric vehicles desirable alternatives on a much larger scale, and for seamlessly integrating with the power grid renewable energy resources like solar and wind."
Image: Ford has opened a new $8m battery lab at the University of Michigan. Photo courtesy: The Regents of the University of Michigan.
