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Cobasys' strong current production battery system product offerings with A123Systems lithium technology allows its customers expanded choices for hybrid electric vehicle programs. (http://www.cobasys.com/news/PressReleases/20070103.htm)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/A123_battery.jpgCobasys - Jan 3, 2006

Chevron is the actual parent of Cobasys, which single-handedly stifled the NiMH battery industry, is now creating marketing ties with A123 Systems. A123 Systems is the company that invented possibly the best Li-Ion based chemistry technology for EV/HEV/PHEV battery solutions to date and manufacturers will now have to purchase this leading Li-Ion battery solution though the Chevron subsidiary.

Orion, MI and Watertown, MA, - Cobasys and A123Systems announced today that they have signed a memorandum of understanding to enter into a partnership to develop, manufacture, sell, and service lithium-ion energy storage systems for hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) applications. The scope of the agreement will include joint development, marketing and supply of A123Systems nanophosphate lithium batteries and Cobasys systems integration and manufacturing of battery systems for HEV markets.

To support customer programs in transportation markets, Cobasys will act as the tier one supplier providing the technical assistance and expertise for the design and development of battery system products including: packaging, thermal management, wiring, electronics and control algorithms. Cobasys will help develop the requirements and specifications to meet the integration needs of customers and partners and will provide the validation testing of fully integrated lithium battery systems. A123Systems will manufacture and supply its automotive-class nanophosphate Lithium Ion cells and technology.

“We are excited to have A123Systems as a partner,” stated Thomas S. Neslage, Cobasys President & CEO. “The agreement to unite Cobasys system expertise with A123Systems lithium technology further exemplifies our vision to be recognized as the world’s most admired energy storage integration solutions company.”

This initiative will complement Cobasys' strong current production battery system product offerings with A123Systems lithium technology allowing its customers expanded choices for hybrid electric vehicle programs.

“We look forward to working with Cobasys to introduce lithium-ion into the automotive market,” said David Vieau, A123Systems President and CEO. “This partnership will provide the market with game changing performance to further accelerate the adoption of hybrid electric vehicles.”

“Our partnership presents an enormous range of potential benefits for the rapidly growing HEV market. We look forward to working closely with A123Systems to provide leading edge solutions to maximize the opportunity afforded by the synergy of the two companies,” said Ivan Menjak, Cobasys General Manager for Planning and Business Strategy.

Cobasys designs, manufactures and integrates advanced battery system solutions featuring for transportation markets, including Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV), Electric Vehicles (EV) and 36/42 Volt applications and to stationary markets, including Back-Up power supply systems for Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS), Telecom and Distributed Generation markets.

Cobasys is a joint venture between Chevron Technology Ventures LLC, a subsidiary of Chevron Corporation (NYSE: CVX) and Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ: ENER).

For more information about Cobasys, contact Ray Wagner at 248-620-5700 or visit our website at http://www.cobasys.com/.

About A123Systems

A123Systems has quickly become one of the World’s largest suppliers of high-power lithium-ion batteries. Based on the Company’s patented nanophosphate technology, the batteries deliver previously unattainable levels of power, safety and life. Applicable to a wide range of industries, A123Systems’ products allow OEMs expanded flexibility in system design, removing many traditional technology constraints. Founded in 2001, A123Systems’ proprietary nanoscale electrode technology is built on initial developments from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

For additional information about A123Systems please contact Keith Watson at 617-758-4142 or visit http://www.a123systems.com/.

Do I hear an echo in this article? How could this be allowed to repeat itself?

That's just great. The company that made NiMH batteries impossible to use in EVs and PHEVs now has control of the technology that was supposed to solve that problem?

"Hey, guys, I have a great idea! Let's make these things so prohibitively expensive that nobody will be able to afford to use them to store any measurable quantity of energy! Brilliant!"

We will just have to see what our friends at Johnson Controls come up with :)

My prediction is that Chevron will bury this technology even beforethe ink is dry on the "agreement".

Hi All:

___When I saw this news on the wire early this morning, I was SHOCKED and pissed at the same time. Because of A123 Systems government contracts, I have a feeling there was some pressure or coercion involved in order for Cobasys to get their hands into A123 Systems pockets. I do not know what pressure was presented but Dr. Chiang (founder of A123 Systems) knows what he has his in his hands, knows what Cobasys has done in the past, and knows what his science can do for the world all the while possibly becoming the richest man on the planet w/ tens of Billions of $’s in potential sales over a very short time frame.

___The item we know today is that A123 Systems has tied up a lot of nano-based Li-Ion patents on the cathodes and Li-Ion phosphate material, has real world cel’s and packs in the field being literally beaten to death in Construction tools (Black and Decker’s DeWalt line of cordless 36 V tools) and HyMotion PHEV’s + god only knows however many other Auto manufacturers with results that would make any of us green w/ envy. They have manufacturing facilities and controls engineers that know how to control C-Rates and SoC of individual cels without any help from a shell or front company the likes Cobasys. Cobasys offers nothing that A123 Systems does not already have yet here is the news? There are a lot of really smart people that will be analyzing this in a multitude of ways so as to stop Cobasys from getting away with taking out the Li-Ion market the same way they did the NiMH industry. Our countries and planets future is at stake and this is one of those advances that cannot/should not be held back by a company like Cobasys who has no other interests but maintaining the present status quo.

___Tom, I do not believe JCI’s Li-Ion’s have nearly the capability of A123’s and there in lyes the rub. With the recent gag order on JCI employees, we have no idea what we are going to see from them in the short term. We do know however that an EV built from A123 Cel’s and control systems would make the Tesla Roadster and its thousands of off the shelf 18650’s look like a Toyota Echo vs. the Toyota Prius II today.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

This may sound naive and may have already been stated a different
way, but after finding out how various oil interests sucked up,
destroyed, and spit back out various PV ventures, this does sound
like "here we go again". And how creative will the resulting
impediments to a non-US company [e.g. japanese] obtaining the
batteries be?? Witness Ov****sky and Toyota's 10 kwh limit or
whatever it was.
.
_H*