By Kim Yoo-chul
SB LiMotive, a 50-50 joint venture between Samsung SDI and Bosch, has won a deal to supply hybrid car battery packs to Chrysler, a company spokesman said Sunday.
It’s the second time for the venture to win a battery deal for eco-friendly cars ― the first was with BMW.
The venture will supply rechargeable packs for the Fiat 500EV to be sold on the American market from 2012.
``The battery cells will be produced at SB LiMotive’s battery line in Ulsan and sent to SB Limotive’s affiliate in the United States ― Cobasys ― which will assemble them into packs,’’ said SDI spokesman Seo Hae-su.
The Fiat 500EV is an electric version of the Fiat 500 model.
Seo said the contract will help the firm secure more clients and help the joint venture gain additional business momentum.
The spokesman declined to comment over further financial details such as contract terms and value, citing the sensitivity of the issue.
``Chrysler indicated that SB LiMotive has won the contract because we can supply high-quality lithium-ion battery packs in large quantities,’’ said Joachim Fetzer, executive vice president of the venture, said in a separate release.
Samsung SDI set up the venture with Bosch in 2008 in a drive by the Samsung Group to foster the lucrative battery business, expecting rapid growth in the hybrid electric vehicle market.
IIT, a Japan-based battery research center, expects the global hybrid electric vehicle market to grow to 1.5 million in 2015 from 490,000 in 2012.
For the third quarter, the company’s operating profit was 123.8 billion won or $110.2 million ― an increase of 4.6 percent year-on-year.