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Lithium-ion battery-pack maker A123 Systems, whose customers include General Motors, Fisker and ALTe, reached an agreement to make battery packs for Via Motors, which next week will unveil what Via says will be the world's first extended-range plug-in pickup truck, SUV and van.



A123's 24-kilowatt hour battery pack will help give the Via trucks, called VTRUX, an all-electric driving range of as much as 40 miles before the truck's gas engine is engaged to provide another 360 miles or so on a full tank. Via's board of directors includes former General Motors Vice Chairman and Chevrolet Volt developer Bob Lutz, who will be unveiling the VTRUX at the Detroit Auto Show next week. Lutz joined Via's board in September.



A123 is hoping the agreement marks a turnaround of sorts for a company that's lately been beset by challenges. The company late last month said that some of the batteries it made for the Fisker Karma extended-range plug-in sports sedan may cause the extended-range plug-in to short circuit because improper alignment of the batteries' hose clamps may cause coolant leaks in "certain rare circumstances." In November, A123 laid off 125 workers at two Michigan plants because of Fisker's delays in launching sales of the Karma. That same month, A123 also cut its 2011 revenue forecast because of fewer-than-expected Karma orders. A123 reduced its 2011 sales forecast by $45 million to between $165 million and $180 million. The battery maker, which went public in September 2009, has reported losses every quarter since 2008.



Earlier last year, A123, which was founded by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professors in 2001, won supply contracts with companies such as General Motors and ALTe, and was one of three-dozen companies tapped to receive about $3 million of the $175 million in U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) grants to be used to further develop vehicle technology aimed at boosting light-duty vehicle fuel economy by more than 75 percent by 2025.



Via is looking to start production next year and hit an annual target of 20,000 vehicles over the next few years. The company grew out of Raser Technologies, which first made a name for itself by converting a Hummer H3 to a plug-in hybrid.

Continue reading A123 will supply battery packs for Via extended-range plug-in trucks

A123 will supply battery packs for Via extended-range plug-in trucks originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments

Tags: a123, bob lutz, detroit, detroit auto show, extended-range plug-in vehicle, general motors, lithium-ion batteries, plug-in hybrid, via motors

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A123 will supply battery packs for Via extended-range plug-in trucks was originally published by AutoblogGreen. Read the full story by clicking here.