A123 buys technologies, hires engineers from Leyden Energy

Livonia, Michigan – Battery producer A123 Systems LLC has completed the purchase of certain intellectual property and technical staff of Leyden Energy. Leyden’s intellectual property in battery materials covering lithium titanate (LTO) and non-flammable electrolyte developments were acquired for an undisclosed amount.

As a part of the deal, key technical staff of Leyden Energy have also agreed to join A123 Systems’ R&D organization.

Leyden is the recent recipient of significant development funding from United States Advanced Battery Consortium LLC (USABC), an organization whose members include Chrysler Group LLC, Ford Motor Co., and General Motors.

Under that program, Leyden developed technology for micro-hybrid applications in the automotive market. In particular, the inherent LTO properties of long cycle life and high power capability were extended to operate over a substantially wider temperature range.

The acquisition of Leyden’s technology complements the lithium iron phosphate (LFP) materials portfolio that A123 commercialized nearly a decade ago under the Nanophosphate trade name.

“As the world’s OEMs continue to invest more effort in the development of their respective micro-hybrid systems, the global diversity of requirements is growing rapidly. By expanding our technology portfolio for this fast-growing market, A123 now has the right solution for nearly every micro-hybrid program worldwide,” says Jason Forcier, CEO of A123 Systems.

Source: A123 Systems