Energy Power Systems, LLC (EPS), a Michigan-based advanced battery technology company, announced today that it is establishing a high-volume manufacturing facility in Pontiac, Michigan, creating more than 300 new high-tech and manufacturing jobs during the initial production phase. The company is leasing 150,000 square feet of the former General Motors Pontiac Centerpoint Central building from Industrial Realty Group (IRG), which purchased the property from RACER Trust.
The new facility, expected to begin commercial scale production in early 2016, will produce high-performance, low-cost and long-life batteries based upon EPS proprietary technology for use in fuel efficient start/stop and micro-hybrid vehicles; utility-scale distributed energy storage; renewable energy integration; and fast-charging infrastructure for electric propulsion vehicles.
The company’s Planar Layered Matrix™ technology (PLM) lead-acid batteries employ a proprietary microstructure, morphology, electrode and battery design. They are deliver an optimal combination of power, energy and cycle life performance while at the same time, reducing corrosion, sulfation and stratification. That results in a unique, high performance and low cost battery solution for applications requiring high power and long cycle life.
The initial annual production capacity will be 500 MWh, the equivalent of 500,000 start/stop vehicle batteries. The new facility will use state-of-the-art, ultra-low emission manufacturing processes that support the company's commitment to sustainability and a clean environment.
"The EPS team has successfully completed the product development phase and we are now launching the commercialization phase," said Subhash Dhar, Founder, Chairman and CEO of EPS. "This major milestone is a testament to the proven performance attributes of our PLMâ„¢ technology, which offers a superior value proposition for our customers' applications."
The Pontiac Centerpoint Central campus includes a 1.2-million-square-foot office building that will be converted to a high-end industrial, multi-tenant facility. The property had been vacant since 2008. "We are proud to welcome EPS as our first tenant to the facility and support the job creation it will bring to Pontiac," said Stuart Lichter, President and CEO of IRG, a national leader in the adaptive reuse of industrial property. "IRG's specialty is acquiring buildings in need of adaptive reuse, repositioning them and locating quality tenants. I anticipate the momentum at the property to continue and further announcements to come in the near future."
