One For The Good Guys-Johnson Controls Plans $90 Million Battery Plant ( In China, We Can't Win Them All)

But First Snide's Remarks: After the past few days of "big wins" for Big Oil...Toyota stopping the Prius plant in Mississippi and canceling their Diesel JV with Isuzu, and Honda saying that they won't bring their diesels to the U.S...It's hopeful to see that the "forces of darkness" haven't shut down our No Oil-Electric Drive future yet... but oh how they are trying. CLICK HERE for the video. We expect Johnson Controls to have the ability to make Li Batteries for EV's there also. Let me know what you think. msnide@theautochannel.com.

SHANGHAI, Dec 16, 2008; Fang Yan writing for Reuters reported that Johnson Controls Inc said on Today it plans to invest about $90 million to build an automotive battery plant in Zhejiang province in east China.

Johnson Controls, which makes car interiors and batteries, will start construction of the plant in January next year with production scheduled to begin in June 2010, it said in a statement.

The facility, with an annual production capacity of 4 million auto batteries, is subject to regulatory approval, it added.

Johnson Controls also runs a joint venture with Chinese car maker Chery Automobile making auto interiors. It is the third biggest auto parts maker in North America.

Editing for Reuters by Jacqueline Wong