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Saft Announces Success in DOE Grant Application for lithium-ion Hybrid Vehicle Battery Plant in Michigan

Posted on: Thursday, 6 August 2009, 01:33 CDT

PARIS, August 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Johnson Controls-Saft has been awarded a $299 million grant by the United States Department of Energy under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to build domestic manufacturing capacity for advanced batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles.

The facility will be built in Holland, Michigan and will serve the Company's strategic global customers, in particular the series production contracts it has won with Ford, for its first plug-in hybrid vehicle for 2012, and Azure Dynamics.

Subject to successful negotiation of this contract, Johnson Controls-Saft will also receive a combination of tax credits and incentives from the State of Michigan totalling $148.5m.

"I am very happy that Johnson Controls-Saft was selected for this grant" said John Searle, Chairman of the Management Board for Saft, "We see increasing opportunities for our lithium-ion technology in the United States as the clean vehicle market develops."

Johnson Controls-Saft is a leading global manufacturer of hybrid battery systems. The company launched production at the world's first lithium-ion hybrid and electric battery facility in Nersac, France this year, in particular for the Mercedes S 400 hybrid, now on sale, and the BMW 7 series ActiveHybrid available in early 2010.

About Saft

Saft batteries are used in high performance applications, such as industrial infrastructure and processes, transportation, space and defence. Saft is the world's leading manufacturer of nickel-cadmium batteries for industrial applications and of primary lithium batteries for a wide range of end markets. The group is also the European leader for specialised advanced technologies for the defence and space industries. With approximately 4,000 employees worldwide, Saft is present in 18 countries. Its 15 manufacturing sites and extensive sales network enable the group to serve its customers worldwide. Saft is listed in the SBF 120 index on the Paris Stock Market.

For more information, visit Saft at http://www.saftbatteries.com

Press contacts:

Jill Ledger, Saft Corporate Communications and Institutional Relations Director, Tel: +33-1-49-93-17-77, e-mail: jill.ledger@saftbatteries.com

Yannick Duverge, Financial Dynamics, Corporate Press contact Tel: +33-1-47-03-68-10, e-mail: yannick.duverge@fd.com

SOURCE Saft

Source: PR Newswire

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