Hitachi has received an order for lithium-ion battery systems from General Motors Corporation (GM). Hitachi’s lithium-ion battery systems will be installed annually in more than 100,000 hybrid-electric vehicles (HEV), which is scheduled to launch in North America market in 2010. The order reflects GM’s recognition of the solid quality of Hitachi lithium-ion batteries, Hitachi’s proven record in a broad spectrum of lithium-ion battery technologies, including performance, cost, safety, durability and endurance, and its track record of having supplied the market

with more than 200,000 cells since 2000. The lithium-ion batteries will be supplied by Hitachi Vehicle Energy, Ltd., a subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd.

Owing to stricter environmental regulations and rising concern about fuel economy worldwide, Hitachi expects the global market for HEVs to continue expanding from the 410,000 unit level recorded in 2006 to 1.5 million units in 2010. Against that backdrop, Hitachi estimates that demand for HEV lithium-ion batteries will overtake that for the current mainstream nickel metal hydride batteries in 2015.