American Battery Solutions Inc.: Designs, develops and manufactures advanced battery systems for the transportation industry

ABS is a group of battery system experts who have years of experience in designing, developing, and manufacturing advanced battery systems for the transportation industry. The company has helped in launching some notable programs with renowned brands like General Motors, Fiat Chrysler, BMW, Daimler-Mercedes and others.

ABS is supported by a significant investment firm KCK Group; a principal investment firm with offices in London, New York, the Bay Area and Dubai. ABS has recently acquired manufacturing and battery pack testing assets from Robert Bosch Battery Systems.

ABS has gathered a best-in-class team of engineers that is committed and experienced. This team comes with a deep understanding of high voltage, automotive-grade battery systems from concept development and prototyping to testing and validation, straight through to high volume production.

Mr. Subhash Dhar, Founder, Chairman & CEO, helped us understand the company in depth

The team at ABS has decades of experience in designing, developing, and manufacturing

Li-Ion batteries. How has it transformed over the years?

Our team has been part of the battery industry since the early 1980’s with extensive experience and innovative expertise beginning with the development and commercialization of Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-Mh) battery technology which became the battery of choice for hybrids such as the Toyota Prius. We also used it to power innovative vehicles like GM’s EV1 and much of the first generation of strong hybrid vehicles. As Li-ion technology began to reach the commercial introduction in automotive applications we led the development of li-ion cells and systems for the first generation of Li-Ion batteries for vehicles like the Chevrolet Volt e and New Flyer’s electric bus.

During this period since 1980’s we helped develop the solutions that drove the energy density from 70Wh/kg in the Ni-Mh batteries to nearly 300Wh/kg in Li-Ion. We also pioneered the first design of batteries as “systems” rather than the simpler lead acid batteries used before Ni-MH. In this role, we helped develop the battery pack solutions and processes that helped reduce the battery pack costs from over $1,000/kWh to less than $200/kWh today. These changes have made li-ion batteries not only a viable solution for a world of different applications, but in fact often the preferred solution.

ABS has recently acquired manufacturing and battery pack testing assets from Robert Bosch Battery Systems. How has the acquisition helped in further developments?

In 2019, we acquired all of the Bosch Battery Systems battery assets including a facility in Lake Orion, Michigan which is ABS’ headquarters and tech center housing our administration, sales & marketing, engineering, prototyping, and validation testing in a 40,000 sq. ft. facility and is central to Michigan’s automotive industry and supply chain. We have built on the great Bosch assets we acquired as we grow the ABS test facilities which are specialized for Li-ion battery pack development and testing. We also acquired Bosch’s State-of-The-Art 170,000 Sq. ft. manufacturing facility in Springboro, Ohio. Acquisition of both facilities and assets from Robert Bosch has given us a very strong platform that has allowed us to jump right into the engineering of our own product lines with much shorter lead time to ramp up the manufacturing.

What are your products? Explain its uniqueness.

ABS is a “one stop shop” able to provide engineering, validation and manufacturing for custom battery projects as well as offing a series of standard battery packs. ABS provides fully integrated, high performance and reliable Li-ion battery packs to customers with limited or no access to high quality and reliable systems for electrified vehicles and stationery storage applications. We offer full service for complete stored energy solutions that meet or exceed our customers’ performance requirements. With our experienced and knowledgeable team in battery chemistry, battery engineering, battery management, battery hardware and software and extensive background knowledge in applications engineering we are designing, developing, validating and manufacturing Li-ion rechargeable energy storage systems (RESS) for a variety of industrial and commercial applications ranging from 24V to 850V solutions.

In addition to custom designed solutions, ABS has developed a standardized family of RESS solutions which are agnostic to battery chemistry which we call the ALLIANCE Intelligent Battery Series™. The ALLIANCE modules are flexible and have the ability to adapt multiple lithium-ion chemistries with varying types of electrical characteristics to meet a wide variety of application needs.

ALLIANCE Intelligent Battery Series™ features and advantages:

• Modular design which will allow us to keep the costs low
• Flexible designs to adapt the changing cell chemistry and cell design over time – “Future Proofing”
• Proprietary software algorithms for operation and charging protocol
• Faster and lower cost development cycles

ALLIANCE Intelligent Battery Series™ Benefits:

• Flexible, scalable solutions
• Diverse applications
• High temperature compatibility
• Advanced monitoring and diagnostic reporting
• Modular design that enables customized packs using a standard “core”
• Sealed enclosure eliminates potential for debris & weather to get inside pack

 How are your batteries highly efficient? Explain with instances.

Our energy storage solutions are based on our extensive experience in both cell and system engineering. This means that we can select the “right” cell for the application, rather than being forced into a single form factor or chemistry. Having relationships with several major cell manufacturers allows us both access to world class technologies. As we design module and pack solutions, we apply industry leading solutions ranging from integrating multi-functional components for the mechanical, thermal and BMS systems.

How do you assist your customers in case of outdoor services?

We work closely with all customers to assist in the implementation and integration of batteries, whether located indoors or outdoors, stationary, or mobile applications. We look at each customer application and develop solutions targeted at meeting the unique needs of each customer. For example, our Alliance Intelligent Battery Series ™ is IP67 sealed to protect it from wet and dusty environments. Other solutions may integrate thermal management systems to help maintain the batteries at a safe and constant temperature regardless of the region that it is installed in.

Embrace the luminary

Subhash Dhar is the Founder, Chairman & CEO, American Battery Solutions Inc; a company engaged in developing, designing, and manufacturing complete Li-ion battery systems for the electrification of vehicles and industrial equipment including stationery storage applications. Previously, he served as the Chairman & CEO of Envia Systems, a Bay Area company engaged in developing advanced Li-ion battery technology.

Mr. Dhar has also been involved in many aspects of alternative and advanced technology including hydrogen generation, hydrogen storage and Fuel Cells. Mr. Dhar is a co-inventor of over 40 US patents and has co-authored more than 45 technical papers and delivered dozens of invited keynote addresses at numerous global energy

and automotive conferences.

He has a master’s in engineering management and Chemical Engineering.

“We engineer, develop, and manufacture high-quality lithium-ion batteries and battery systems to serve the growing demands in electrified transportation, motive, industrial, and commercial markets.”