Johnson Controls Awarded Contract From United States Advanced Battery Consortium to Develop Enhanced-Technology, Lithium-Ion Battery

Contract Reflects Company's and Industry's Commitment to Support Battery Development for Future Hybrid Vehicles

MILWAUKEE, June 4 -- Johnson Controls has been granted a contract for lithium-ion battery development by the United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC). Over the 18-month program, the company will develop an abuse-tolerant, lithium-ion battery offering extended life and significantly improved power-to-weight performance versus current hybrid-battery technology.

The project will leverage Johnson Controls' long-term experience and expertise in developing advanced power-storage and power-management technologies for passenger cars, as well as commercial vehicles.

Johnson Controls and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) are funding the 18-month program, and the USABC is providing programmatic support. Members of the USABC include DaimlerChrysler, Ford and General Motors. The organization's mission is to pursue research and development of advanced energy systems that will enable future-generation electric and hybrid electric vehicles to achieve significantly increased range and performance.

"We are pleased that the USABC has granted Johnson Controls this contract," said Gregg Sherrill, group vice president and general manager of the battery business of Johnson Controls. "This is another example of Johnson Controls' strong commitment to developing advanced-chemistry battery systems in support of future, hybrid-electric vehicles."

Under terms of the contract, Johnson Controls is required to supply modules that can be tested for abuse-tolerance, capacity, pulse power, calendar life, and cycle life. The initial product will consist of 12 ampere- hour cells. A major goal is to meet the FreedomCAR battery performance requirements, as set forth by the USABC. FreedomCAR is an industry-government research initiative to collaboratively develop technologies that will deliver substantial improvements in the fuel-economy and emissions performance of U.S. passenger vehicles.

The Johnson Controls advanced battery hybrid systems team -- located at the company's headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin -- will lead the development program. Cell and module development efforts will be carried out at the firm's Hannover, Germany facility. Additional work on the battery- management system will be performed at the Johnson Controls Automotive Electronics facility in Cergy-Pontoise, France. Johnson Controls has a battery-management system called Powerwatch(TM) that monitors and manages a vehicle's energy throughput and battery condition, providing information to onboard control systems. This data is useful in improving fuel economy and optimizing battery life in all types of cars, trucks and vans. It also can help to reduce emissions, even in conventional powertrain vehicles enhanced with stop/start technology. The company's facility in Hannover has had significant involvement to date in developing nickel-metal-hydride and lithium-ion batteries for passenger cars. It also manufactures nickel-metal- hydride battery systems for European bus applications.

Johnson Controls is a global market leader in automotive systems and facility management and control. In the automotive market, it is a major supplier of integrated seating and interior systems, and batteries. For non-residential facilities, Johnson Controls provides control systems and services including comfort, energy and security management. Johnson Controls , founded in 1885, has headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.