Michigan bets on battery development as it races against Asian advances

Looks like automotive battery development is going to take a bigger role in Michigan's growing new economy.

Excerpt:

Michigan, buoyed by the auto industry's rush into electric vehicles, is hitching a big piece of its economic development hopes to the promise of lithium-ion battery production.

The state's automotive heritage - albeit hamstrung by the economic crisis - and its strong research universities are poised to give the state a significant edge in the race to develop advanced auto battery capabilities.

But the state's efforts launch it into a competition that is far more global and far more advanced than many realize. It puts the state in direct competition with the best engineers in China, Korea and Japan, in particular.

"The top 10 battery (companies) in the world are not located in North America," said Jim Epolito, CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corp.

The Ann Arbor region, which MEDC recently designated as a "Center of Energy Excellence," is charged with leading Michigan in the battery competition.

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