CarBuyersNoteBook

U.S. supplier Johnson Controls and French manufacturer Saft SA have announced that they will join forces in 2009 to produce 20,000 lithium ion battery systems for the automobile market over the next five years. Best of all, the batteries will be manufactured in the U.S. in a Johnson Controls factory in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Azure Dynamics Inc will be purchasing the lithium ion battery systems to install in hybrid commercial vehicles. Azure outfits commercial vans and trucks for fleet customers such as AT&T, FedEx Corp. and Purolator Courier Ltd.  Right now most hybrid vehicles use less-efficient nickel metal hydride batteries. 

The move to lithium ion use in commercial vehicles is expected to have a major impact on carbon emissions. Fleets of commercial vehicles currently represent about 12 percent of total miles driven but produce 25 percent of all greenhouse emissions. Johnson Controls is the 7th largest auto supplier in the world. The rapid and effective development and manufacture of new battery technology within the borders of the U.S. is widely believed to be critical to long term economic recovery.