GM to build $43 million battery plant in Michigan

General Motors chief Fritz Henderson has said a new $43 million plant in Michigan will assemble battery packs for the company's forthcoming Volt hybrid.  The plant will be based in Brownstown Township, 20 miles southwest of Detroit, and will employ around 100 people, the company said.  GM will be leasing the 160,000-square-foot building that will house the plant.  The investment will include the cost of renovating the premises, as well as the purchase of new machinery and specialized tools.  ÔÇ£Advanced battery development is a critical component that will strengthen the long-term competitiveness and technology leadership of the United States,ÔÇØ Henderson said in a statement.  ÔÇ£At our Brownstown facility, GM will help deliver domestically produced and affordable energy sources for American consumers while creating US-based manufacturing jobs.ÔÇØ  Production is expected to start in the fourth quarter of next year and the annual output of battery packs is predicted to reach 70,000. Last week, GM was awarded $105 million in grants by the Government as part of its commitment to support the development of next-generation batteries and electric vehicles. The battery cells will be made by LG Chem in South Korea, before being shipped to the GM battery plant where they will be built into the final battery pack.  The plant will also build battery packs for other GM hybrids. Earlier this week, GM announced that the Volt is expected to achieve at least 230 miles per gallon and will be able to travel a distance of up to 40 miles from a single battery charge. ┬á * ┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á*┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á *