The company bidding to acquire the remains of Fisker Automotive has signed an agrement to investigate use of lithium batteries.
The agreement is between Hybrid Tech Operating Corp. and Boston-Power, Inc.
The agreement is one part of Hybrid’s bid to purchase the assets of Fisker, which manufactures the Karma and proposed Atlantic plug-in hybrid. The rival bidder for Fisker, Wanxiang America bought Fisker’s former battery supplier out of bankruptcy proceedings.
The bidding battle that will be played out in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington has led both Chinese companies to pledge that they will try to build the Atlantic at the former GM Boxwood plant near Wilmington.
Fisker was slated to build the car at the plant before falling victim to various problems that included batteries.
Auto industry observers still rate the chances of building a vehicle in Delaware as slim.
“This non-exclusive partnership with Boston-Power is a key element of Hybrid’s ongoing review of alternative leading-edge battery suppliers that will support its Karma restart program and deliver a best in class battery solution,” said Megan Grant, spokeswoman for Hybrid.
“Hybrid has been engaged in a thorough review of all of Fisker’s supplier relationships, with the goal of ensuring that customer demands for a high-quality and high-performance luxury EV are met,” she said.
Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Massachusetts, Boston-Power is a provider of next-generation lithium-ion battery cells, blocks, modules and systems.
“Boston-Power is excited to enter into this agreement with Hybrid,” said Boston-Power chief technology officer Richard Chamberlain. “Like our new partners, we believe Fisker has a bright and continued future in the US. We feel strongly that together with Hybrid, our Swing products will help ensure the future success of Fisker, of the Karma and forthcoming Atlantic vehicles.”
The auction is scheduled for Feb. 12, 2014 in connection with Fisker’s ongoing bankruptcy process. Hybrid, according to a release announcing the battery deal, is “committed to manufacturing in the United States and is seeking opportunities to use the existing Delaware facility.”
