LG wins race to power GM’s plug-in car

[antimatter98]

Source: Financial Times, Tues Jan 13

General Motors has chosen South Korea’s LG Chem over a consortium led by Germany’s Continental to supply lithium-ion battery cells for its Chevrolet Volt plug-in electric car.

GM said it would begin building a plant in Michigan this year to produce the batteries and start their production in 2010, when it plans to launch the Volt.

The decision will make GM the first major carmaker to build lithium-ion battery packs in the US as global competition intensifies to build viable rechargeable cars and the batteries needed to power them.

The troubled carmaker’s decisions on plants and technology are now under scrutiny from lawmakers and Congress after having secured $13.4bn of US government aid in December. GM said its decision to open a plant in Michigan was subject to negotiations with state and local authorities.

Read more: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/cc09905c-e0e6-11dd-b0e8-000077b07658.html

---

Note:

1. GM had to go to Korea for batteries, and chose the firm LG over a consortium
that included an American company, A123 Systems.

2. GM is going to 'negotiate' with Michigan state and local authorities --- so despite
a multibillion dollar bailout, GM expects Michigan to take on most of the tax burden
and expense of a new plant's prep-construction--you know the drill: subsidized infrastructure,
subsidized employment costs, huge tax give aways and no doubt UAW concessions. So that
GM can sell a $60,000 volt to the upper classes.

[Oerdin]

1. Batteries

Let's face it most of the advanced batteries are made in Asia. The good news is by using an off the shelf battery solution GM is saving a lot of money and the plant still gets built in the US so it still creates jobs for Americans.

[lumberjack_jeff]

34. It'll be great if the big production of these batteries results in better QC. n/t

[Kolesar]

2. Note 3: The Cantrell oil field is playing out &USA's top oil source will have nothing for us by 2011

Ok, IIRC, Mexico supplies 13% of the oil imported to us. I am not sure if they are #1, but they are close to the top. 13% of the oil to us is ~10% of what the USA uses. Solutions:

1. Battery powered cars
2. Car pooling

Your hunch that this is more to aid one company than to aid "the American workers" is pretty good, though.

[Romulox]

3. The Germans have been DEVASTATING to Michigan industry. No doubt that figured into the decision.

Daimler-Chrysler was a disaster, and most of the blame needs to go to the DB.

[Kolesar]

22. So pick Korea over Germany--that's a thinker

If you will excuse the Mike Judge colloquialism.

[Romulox]

26. Why shouldn't we? Is Germany our "special friend" to whom we owe a favor or something?

I'm really at a loss here. Is it just that Germans "look more like us" that determines that they should be given preferential treatment? :wtf:

[OwnedByFerrets]

4. My brain is just exploding. We are hearing daily that

to get the economy back on its feet, we must rely on greening the industry. Why cant this be a SHINING EXAMPLE of a first step. Im not saying this well and maybe someone else can explain it better. Bottom line is, we should develop and build these HERE and create the jobs HERE. :wtf:

[FarCenter]

5. We have no portable electronics manufacturing industry; hence we have no battery manufacturing

Essentially all US sold portable consumer electronics, cell handsets, laptop computers, etc, are made in East Asia. While they may contain some "high-value" components, such as microprocessor chips, made in the US, all the "low-value" components, such as power electronics and rechargeable batteries are made in Asia.

[JeanGrey]

6. Isn't it sad that these clowns weren't doing this twenty years ago?

Had to come to this and it's still too late for GM.

[Romulox]

7. Errr, there's the small fact that the technology did not exist 20 years ago.

But don't let facts get in the way of a good rant!

[JeanGrey]

15. Oh the technology just popped up yesterday did it?

And we didn't see this coming? And we continued to make piece of crap cars for what purpose now, I forget?

[Romulox]

17. I see. Instead of admitting your mistake, you just wish to spew contentless rants.

Carry on then.

[JeanGrey]

21. I will. Geesh.

[lumberjack_jeff]

33. Yesterday? No, 3 years ago.

A123 systems announced their LiFePo4 batteries in November 2005

[JeanGrey]

35. Oh we didn't have electric cars except three years ago.

Right.

[bluecollarcharlie]

8. Amazing.

For the last two months, people around here were bitchin' and moanin' and pissing everywhere about how GM, Ford and Chrysler weren't doing ANYTHING in the field of hybrid vehicles and how the economic conditions weren't responsible for the problems that they faced. For the last two months, people greeted each rebuttal of the conventional "wisdom" that GM and Chrysler should be allowed to wither and die with anger and indifference but willing to let the financial industry off with a wink and a nod. And now, when the vehicles are out there and on the way, which is the greatest rebuttal to this nonsense, you people STILL look for a way to knock Detroit down.
Absolutely, fucking amazing!

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

9. Butbutbut, they're buying stuff from FURRINERS.

Nevermind that vast amounts of the stuff that currently goes into "American" cars is made or has origins overseas.

Just thank God it wasn't a Chinese company they selected, or people would be calling for bombing Detroit to the ground.

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

11. Nope, sorry.

I just find it unfortunate that many people around here appear to believe that non-Americans shouldn't be allowed to produce or export anything.

[Romulox]

12. This board is based on discussion of the American Democratic Party.

It is one of two major parties in our "representational democracy".

Are you following me so far? Because you seem to have a basic conceptual problem with:

a) the purpose of this website
b) the purpose of representational democracy

At least in theory, a "representational democracy" is supposed to respond to (wait for it!) the best interests of its electorate. Not the best interests of people outside that electorate. This is fundamental to the concept.

Does this make sense to you?

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

14. You're making an assumption with which I don't agree.

I don't agree that non-Americans having viable economies is against the interests of Americans. THAT is where I take issue with some of the posters in this thread.

[Romulox]

16. No, I'm not making any such assumption. I am objectively viewing 30 years of stagnant wages

30 years of sharp increases in the disparity between the wealthiest and the poorest Americans, and 30 years of declining class mobility.

Based on all of the objective criteria, "free trade" has decimated the American middle class while enriching the America upper classes.

And your argument to refute this is what again? Name calling? :hi:

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

18. Name calling?

Oh, that's rich coming from someone calling me a sock puppet.

[Name removed]

25. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Romulox]

29. Er, of course I meant "sock puppet" nt

[blendermax]

13. The Koreans sell plenty of stuff to us already

GM probably picked the Korean company because they were the low bidder.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

30. More than likely.

Unfortunately, it looks like the car will still be extremely expensive anyway. But such is the usual way with new technology. Early adopters who have the cash will buy them up. Hopefully this allows economies of scale to come into play, and the production costs will get cheaper over time.

It really is a pity about the cost. Aside from the Focus, this is the first American car I've ever considered buying.

[Name removed]

31. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[hunter]

19. If the batteries are not good GM can point to Korea...

Lithium batteries are about as scary as a tank full of gasoline.



Although to be honest, gasoline powered laptops might explode more often. Or poison their users with smog.

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/700/1042700/dell-laptop-explodes-at-japanese-conference

[CRF450]

20. Thats if they're not charged or hooked up right.

Other than that, they are a very good choice and the chances of one exploding is nill unless its ridiculously cheap made. A huge number of electronics use them, even my radio controlled airplane does.

[Kolesar]

23. Lithium batteries have electronic charging circuits to ensure they are "safe"*

The electronics prevents rapid charge or discharge, which, IIRC could cause overheating and "explostions".

*relatively safe

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

24. Yes.

It's fortunate that all of today's cars are powered by non-volatile substances.

http://www.greatdreams.com/dalla-gas-explosion-0,,5583350,00.jpg

[lumberjack_jeff]

32. Lithium-ion batteries describe a bunch of different things.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_ion_battery

[Barack_America]

27. You criticize the cost of the car...

Did you consider that the choice to go with Korean batteries was an effort to keep costs down?

GM doesn't have much room for error when it comes to the Volt.

[alfredo]

28. LG has also inked a long term deal with Apple for flat panel monitors. LG

appears to be doing something right.