LG Chem Battery Pack to Power Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Minivan

Just recently, LG Chem has announced that the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Minivan would be equipped with its 16-kWh Li-ion battery pack, which integrates Li-ion cells, control software and a number of electronic components.

LG Chem will produce the cells and packs at the LG Chem Michigan (LGCMI) facility in Holland, Michigan but the entire battery pack was engineered at its Troy, Michigan, facility (LGCPI), including software, hardware, prototypes, packs and electronics, such as the battery management system.

The deal with FCA US marks the first time LG Chem will engineer and produce a full battery pack in Michigan for the volume production Pacifica Hybrid. This vehicle, which is slated to be unveiled later this year and launched at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, will be the first-ever mass-produced electrified hybrid minivan. It can run up to 48 kilometers on electricity only and attain an estimated 80 MPGe in the city.

LG Chem’s battery pack, which is neatly packaged under the second row floor in a new battery case, may be fully recharged in as little as two hours utilizing a 240-volt plug-in system. When the energy of the battery gets depleted to a certain threshold, the PHEV becomes a part-time electric vehicle, like a traditional hybrid.

For the past two years, the automotive world has been on the lookout to see who would be selected to supply batteries for this vehicle, as the contract calls for the development of powerful, highly-reliable and safe batteries using state-of-the-art technology.

According to LG Chem Power, CEO Denise Gray, their experience with entire battery packs, including cell design and production capability, as well as their expertise in vehicle integration, makes them the ideal battery supplier for the Pacifica Hybrid. “We believe our technical strengths, engineering and manufacturing expertise, position us as a leading battery and control system provider for electric vehicles today and in the future.”