LG forges new battery deal with GM

       South Korea's LG Chem said yesterday it has signed a new deal to supply batteries for an electric car to be produced by US auto giant General Motors.
       LG Chem, part of the LG group, said it would supply lithium-ion polymer batteries for GM's plug-in midsize Buick sport utility vehicle to be launched in 2011.
       The company refused to give details of the deal, which follows a separate contract in January to make lithium-ion batteries for GM's all-electric Chevrolet Volt car from 2010 until the end of 2015.
       LG Chem said at the time it would spend one trillion won (Bt27.8 billion) to build a new battery production line for GM at its factory in Ochang south of Seoul.
       The Volt is designed to run 64 kilometres on a single battery charge. Beyond that range, it uses a petrol engine, which drives a generator to produce electrical power.
       LG has said the January deal would it become a major supplier of batteries for a new generation of environmentally-friendlly electric cars.
       It also plans to provide lithium-ion batteries for hybrid electric vehicles to be produced by South Korean carmakers.