The ongoing test at GM’s Advanced Technical Center in Shanghai, China are expected to enable the company to build strategic partnerships with battery cell and cell material suppliers and make purchasing decisions as a smart cell buyer.
Accelerating the development of batteries with improved energy density to allow smaller overall system sizes and reducing costs is the objective of the program and will in turn, will help affordability of plug-in vehicles.
GM China Science Lab director John Du termed the development of smaller, lighter and lower-cost new-generation batteries as critical to the company.
"Producing the first prototype battery cells is a big step forward for the GM China Advanced Technical Center," added Du.
The battery system being developed includes the components needed to control cell temperature, manage battery charge and discharge, and package cells in vehicles.
