GM doubles size of Warren advanced battery lab

If bigger is better, then the General Motors advanced battery lab is going from good to great now that the Detroit automaker is spending $8 million to nearly double its Warren Tech Center laboratory size to 63,000 square feet.

The space, formerly used for engine testing, will be converted to a battery lab testing facility to meet new requirements for the Alternative Energy Center. Work is set to begin this summer and finish up by the end of the season.

The laboratory develops and tests advanced batteries (think lithium ion) and technologies for hybrid and electric vehicles. GM opened the lab last spring. It is utilized by a team of more than 1,000 hybrid and electric vehicle engineers.

Most of the facility is used for testing electrochemical battery cells and their enclosures, and to evaluating completed battery packs. The expansion will allow GM to further its research into battery storage and mitigating the effects of heat and thermal shock.

Source: General Motors
Writer: Jon Zemke