U.S. Lithium-Ion Battery Manufacturing Expands with New Plants from EaglePicher, Tesla Motors

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Lithium-ion battery manufacturing plants are on the rise in the U.S., and EaglePicher Technologies LLC (Joplin, Missouri) and Tesla Motors Incorporated (NASDAQ:TSLA) (San Carlos, California) are among the companies fueling the growth. EaglePicher is expanding its site in Joplin, Missouri, and Tesla Motors is building a new "Gigafactory" near Reno, Nevada.

Industrial Info is tracking more than $5.02 billion in lithium-ion battery projects in the U.S.

EaglePicher is adding 100,000 square feet to its $22 million Joplin plant this year. It is expected to produce 171 jobs by the end of 2015.

At a groundbreaking ceremony on March 19, Randy Moore, president of EaglePicher Technologies, said: "This new facility furthers our role as a key supplier in the lithium-ion market, allowing us to provide the critical battery power needed for applications, where failure is not an option. We are looking forward to scaling up our capabilities for high-output manufacturing."

Tesla Motors is building a $5 billion, environmentally sound "Gigafactory" in McCarran, Nevada. The plant is being built on 500 to 1,000 acres, and the company hopes to create 6,500 jobs in the Reno area by the beginning of 2017.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, in an interview with CNBC, said: "This is going to be a very 'green' factory. There's going to be a lot of solar power. It's going to have essentially zero emissions, and there are no toxic elements that are going to come out of this factory. We will build recycling capability right into the factory."

Lithium-ion batteries help to fulfill a growing need for lighter-weight battery packs, and function at the same voltage level as lead-acid batteries. These batteries have long been used by the U.S. government due to low maintenance requirements, and are now being used in automobiles, aerospace and the medical industry. Chemical improvements are now being made in the battery that improve battery safety and accuracy.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, five offices in North America and 10 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.