First Mass Manufacturing Line in the U.S. for Lithium-Ion Automotive Batteries

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind., May 6 -- Senator Evan Bayh will attend as honored guest a ceremony marking the commissioning of the country's first commercial-scale production line for lithium-ion automotive battery packs, the key energy component for next-generation electric cars and hybrids, at EnerDel on Friday, May 8, 2009, at 12:00 noon.

Senator Bayh, an active supporter in Washington of electrifying American automotive transportation, will cut the ribbon on the new installation at EnerDel, which is the first and currently only company in the U.S. with mass manufacturing capacity for this critically important high-tech vehicle component.

To meet anticipated demand EnerDel plans to expand both cell manufacturing capacity at the Indianapolis plant and pack assembly capacity at the company's Noblesville facility. Further expansion is under consideration through purchase or construction of a third factory. Future anticipated annual production capacity would involve creating the ability to produce up to 1,500,000 hybrid packs, or 600,000 plug-in hybrid systems, or 150,000 packs for pure electrics, or some combination thereof depending upon the company's customer portfolio. EnerDel expects to employee a total of 3,000 people once full target capacity is achieved.

Senator Bayh, who sits on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee with oversight for national energy policy, is also expected to offer comments before other distinguished invitees from industry and the scientific community, EnerDel plant engineers and staff, as well as local and national media.

"Indiana long ago established itself as a national leader in building homegrown, high-tech automotive components, so it is fitting that our state is now on the precipice of building a new domestic industry for the lithium-ion automotive battery," Senator Bayh said.

"The electrification of transportation in America is fundamental to reducing our reliance on foreign oil and ensuring our nation's long-term energy security," Senator Bayh adds. "I'm proud of the advances EnerDel is making to ensure that deployment of electric-drive vehicles becomes a reality. If we succeed in making Indiana the Silicon Valley of alternative energy, we will help create a cleaner and more livable planet as we create thousands of new job opportunities for middle-class Hoosiers."

The event at EnerDel will include a plant tour and demonstration of the cell and battery pack manufacturing process, as well as a ride-and-drive in an electric vehicle powered by an EnerDel battery system.

About EnerDel

EnerDel, a subsidiary of Ener1, Inc. , develops and manufactures compact, high performance lithium-ion (li-ion) batteries to power the next generation of hybrid and electric vehicles. Led by an experienced team of engineers and energy system experts, the company is building proprietary innovations based on technology originally pioneered at the Argonne National Laboratory.

EnerDel produces its batteries at its state-of-the-art facilities in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is expecting to be the first company to mass-produce a cost-competitive lithium-ion battery for hybrid and electric vehicles. In addition to the automobile market, applications for EnerDel lithium-ion battery technology include medical, military, aerospace, electric utility and other growing markets.