French industrial group Dassault and U.S. joint venture Dow Kokam announced on Sept. 22 a preliminary agreement on a partnership to create batteries for electric and hybrid cars.
"This strategic partnership with Dassault highlights Dow Kokam's intent to accelerate the supply of vehicle-ready battery systems to grow the market," Heinz Haller, a Dow Kokam board member, said.
The two companies have already been working together since 2008 and have jointly developed Cleanbat, a battery system technology for lithium-ion batteries with liquid-cooled thermal management and high precision electronics.
Electric cars have been a centrepiece at this month's Frankfurt auto show, where an array of top auto companies, including Volkswagen and Ford, displayed new electric and hybrid models.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2009
