Norihiko Shirouzu, Some Roads to U.S. Electric-Car Batteries Go Via China.
China Real Time, May 22, 2010.
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2010/05/22/some-road-to-us-electric-car-batteries-goes-via-china/
My comment:
(a) Norihiko SHIROUZU 白水 紀彦
(b) Tianjin Lishen Battery Joint-stock Co. 天津力神电池股份有限公司
http://www.lishen.com.cn
(c) Coda Automotive
http://www.codaautomotive.com/
(headquartered in Santa Monica, California)
In fact, its FAQ confronts the issue "Why doesn’t CODA Automotive
manufacture in the U.S.?"
(d) I simply do not buy the statement that lithium-ion batteries of an
electric car is too heavy to ship across an ocean. Actually there is no need
for Coda Automotive to keep its distance with China.
Tesla Motors manufactures the first commercial electric cars, Roadster,
whose lithium-ion batteries are made in Japan--specifically Panasonic's
Suminoe facility (at Suminoe-ku, City of Osaka 大阪市住之江区).
Due to either manufacturing prowess or as an ally of US, a Japanese company
as business partner is deemed as a plus rather than a minus. A Chinese one
is at a disadvantage.
It is rumored the China-built (or assembled, as preferred by Coda) will sell
for $45,000. At that price, I just do not think consumers will bite.