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Bosch and Samsung SDI's joint venture en route to success SB LiMotive starts production of lithium-ion cells New manufacturing facility opened in Ulsan, Korea

21st February 2011

Robert Bosch GmbH

ES Admin

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In Ulsan, Korea, SB LiMotive has officially taken a new factory into operation. It will manufacture lithium-ion battery cells for hybrid and electric vehicles. At the ceremony marking the opening of the manufacturing facility, Franz Fehrenbach, chairman of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH, said: “In venturing into the development and production of lithium-ion battery cells for hybrid and electric vehicles, we are grasping an opportunity to shape the future of mobility.” “The new plant will contribute to the success of vehicle electrification”, said Chi H. Choi, CEO of Samsung SDI. He went on to say, that it was the Ulsan compound where Samsung SDI “pioneered and took the leadership in the world market for consumer cells”. ”Now“, he said, SB LiMotive will also manufacture the world's top EV batteries, thus becoming the leader in the market.”

Production facility covering an area of 34,000 square meters
Following the groundbreaking ceremony in September 2009, the Ulsan plant was constructed in just nine months. The production facility covers an area of 34,000 square meters. Over the next few years, the plant is projected to create a thousand jobs. Production will start with battery cells for pre-series production projects. Large-scale series production will begin next year. By 2015, SB LiMotive intends to boost its annual cell production capacity to a good four gigawatt-hours – enough for some 180,000 electric vehicles.

Thanks to its engineering and manufacturing expertise the joint venture has already won BMW as customer. As early as 2009, BMW announced it would purchase SB LiMotive's battery cells for its all-electric BMW Megacity Vehicle. SB LiMotive is also supplying battery cells for the ActiveE. BMW will begin building up a test fleet for that electric vehicle next year.

Global foothold in all three major economic regions of the world
SB LiMotive was set up in September 2008 as a joint venture between Bosch and Samsung SDI. The objective of this alliance is to adapt lithium-ion battery technology to the requirements of automobiles, and thus to explore the market for hybrid and electric vehicles. Together, the two companies will have invested some 500 million dollars in the joint venture by 2013. Today, SB LiMotive has its global foothold in all three major economic regions of the world: Asia, Europe, and the Americas. The company has its headquarters and cell development and validation departments in Giheung, Korea and manufacturing facility in Ulsan. In Stuttgart-Feuerbach, Germany, battery systems are developed and prototypes built. At its location in Germany, SB LiMotive has also built up a global team for sales, marketing, and management of key accounts. In 2009, SB LiMotive acquired the U.S. company Cobasys with its two sites in Orion, Michigan, and Springboro, Ohio. SB LiMotive employs some 700 associates worldwide.