Auto supplier Piston Group said it will manufacture batteries for electric vehicles for energy storage technology startup Our Next Energy Inc., or ONE.
Piston Group said it plans to produce ONE’s Aries battery packs, which utilize lithium iron phosphate chemistry to “increase range and reduce cost while eliminating nickel and cobalt supply chain and safety concerns.”
Piston Automotive, a subsidiary of Piston Group, will build the batteries at a factory in Van Buren Township, Mich., about 25 miles west of downtown Detroit. Production is expected to begin late this year.
“Our commitment to growth and product expansion over the past decade with other EV industry leading partners has been a key foundation to our success,” Piston Automotive President Bob Holloway said in a statement. “Piston Automotive’s expertise in battery assembly process design, testing and service, combined with ONE’s innovative battery pack design, is an exciting opportunity and a great fit for our long-term strategy.”
The deal is a milestone for ONE, founded by industry veteran and 2021 Automotive News All-Star Mujeeb Ijaz in suburban Detroit in 2020. The Aries will be the first of its products mass-produced for the EV market.
According to ONE, the Aries battery has 79 kilowatt-hours of energy, with peak power of 120 kilowatts. The companies did not disclose the customers for the batteries.
