Battery maker Gotion has big news in charging tech and beyond. The company, founded in China in 2006, is touting a breakthrough electric vehicle (EV) power pack with an astonishing range of 621 miles on a single charge.
At the same time, plans are moving forward on a battery factory in Michigan that is reported to create 2,300 jobs. It's all part of an EV industry upswing being noticed around the country.
The Gotion battery, called the Astroinno, is 10 years in the making. It's planned to power a 621-mile drive on a single charge and have a lifetime of 2.4 million miles, according to Inside EVs.
Those are some milestone marks for EV batteries. Gotion Executive President Cheng Qian told Inside EVs that the packs can fast-charge in 18 minutes, passing "all safety tests."
To achieve those goals, the batteries have some unique chemistry happening in the electrolyte, the solution inside where charge/discharge cycles happen, as well as other improvements. Inside EVs also noted that the number of parts needed to build the battery is down 45% from "previous iterations." The weight of the parts is down 32%.
Volkswagen is said to be one of Gotion's first customers, though Inside EVs reported that the exact model wasn't yet made public. Mass production is slated to begin next year.
Gotion already has a location in Fremont, California. The company also plans to next put a $2.36 billion pin on the map near Big Rapids, Michigan, according to local ABC affiliate WZZM.
"This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity will make a substantial positive impact for our residents and small businesses for decades to come," Green Charter Township (where the plant is being built) Supervisor Jim Chapman told the outlet.
The plant isn't without detractors, mainly critics of the company's Chinese ties, Advance Local's M Live reports. But for Chapman, there are clear advantages for residents, noting the addition of thousands of jobs.
"You're talking about an area with [a] 19.1% poverty rate in this county," he said to WZZM.
The company also operates internationally in Germany and three locations in the Far East. In the U.S., Gotion has a location in Independence, Ohio, in addition to the Fremont site.
Other Gotion projects involve electronics and battery storage programs. It's part of the company's effort to be a leader in emerging, cleaner technology.
"A simple thought really. In the near future, clean energy will be the main driver fueling many aspects of our daily lives. We want to be a part of that transition and journey," the company website states.
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