This follows the disbanding of its joint venture with Samsung in September.
Bosch says that it has also taken on all existing battery system projects, with Samsung SDI as the cell supplier. The company will also be able to use cells from other manufacturers. The Fiat 500e, which was recently unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show and will go into series production in 2013, is the first all-electric vehicle with a Bosch battery pack.
Bosch and Samsung will still give each other access to the patents. Bosch will, therefore, still be able to develop and produce more efficient lithium-ion battery systems, following increased demand for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids over the next few years. The company plans to cooperate with specialist partners from industry and higher education to establish research and development work on high-performance battery cells in Germany, and to set up a European specialist and supplier network.
