Automotive Energy Supply Prepares for Nissan's First Electric Vehicle

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--With the debut of Nissan's Leaf electric vehicle just around the corner, Nissan Motor Company Limited (TYO:7201) (Yokohama, Japan) and NEC Corporation (TYO:6701) (Tokyo, Japan) are preparing for the lithium-ion battery (LiB) boom. NEC Energy Devices Limited (Sagamihara, Japan), a subsidiary of NEC, is expanding LiB production facilities in Sagamihara, as is a related venture. In 2007, Automotive Energy Supply Corporation (AESC) (Zama, Japan) was formed by Nissan with a 51% stake in the venture, NEC with a 42% stake in the venture, and NEC Energy Devices Limited with a 7% stake in the venture.

For more information on NEC's expansion of its Sagamihara facilities, please read the June 11, 2010, article - Nissan Turns Over a New 'Leaf' with NEC Lithium Ion Batteries.

Automotive Energy Supply has begun the expansion of its Zama manufacturing facility, just to the southwest of Tokyo in the Kanagawa prefecture. Construction, which is planned to take place in three separate phases, began in June. AESC and Nissan have chosen Hitachi Setsubi Engineering Company Limited and Hitachi Plant Construction & Services Company Limited, both subsidiaries of Hitachi Limited (NYSE:HIT) (Tokyo, Japan), to aid in the line addition efforts.

Currently, AESC's Zama manufacturing site operates at production capacity of 39,000 units per year of LiB. However, when the expansion is complete, the site is expected to produce 100,000 units per year. As of now, the expansion, which is scheduled to take place in three line additions, is scheduled to be completed sometime during the second quarter of 2013. Phase I, which encompasses the addition of Line 3, is expected to be completed next spring, and AESC and Nissan have hinted at further line additions in the future.

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