US based automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM) will combine its electric vehicle battery assembly manufacturing unit with battery systems for the 2015 Chevrolet Spark EV at its battery assembly plant in Brownstown, Michigan in the US.
The facility produces new batteries for the 2015 Chevrolet Spark EV that features an overall storage capacity of 19kWh and uses 192 lithium ion cells.
Claimed to be 86lbs lighter than the system in the 2014 Spark EV, the new 474lbs battery system is built on a dedicated production line at Brownstown, which also produces complete battery packs for the Chevrolet Volt, Opel Ampera and Cadillac ELR vehicles.
GM global transmission and electrification engineering executive director Larry Nitz said using the company's in-house engineering and manufacturing expertise enabled it to deliver a battery system that is more efficient and lighter than the 2014 Spark EV without sacrificing range.
"Our successful working relationship with LG Chem has allowed us to deliver a new battery system for the Spark EV that helps us to better leverage our economies of scale," Nitz added.
GM claims that changes in battery design will not have any impact on the vehicle's performance.
The 479,000ft2 Brownstown Battery Assembly had started production in October 2010 and produces the lithium-ion battery packs for GM's extended-range electric vehicles.
