SB LiMotive

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SB LiMotive was a 50:50 joint venture between Bosch and Samsung SDI, created in June 2008 to design and manufacture lithium‑ion batteries for hybrids, plug‑in hybrids, and electric vehicles. The venture ended in September 2012, after which Bosch and Samsung continued their automotive battery work separately.

Origins and sites: The company established operations in Korea and Germany, and began building a large lithium‑ion cell plant in Ulsan, Korea. The headquarters and cell development were in Yongin, South Korea. The Ulsan plant was built quickly—nine months—and started producing cells for pre‑series in 2010, with series production planned for 2011. In Germany, Stuttgart‑Feuerbach handled battery system development and prototype work, while a global team managed sales, marketing, and key accounts.

Cobasys acquisition: In July 2009 SB LiMotive bought Cobasys LLC in the United States, adding two sites in Orion Township, Michigan, and Springboro, Ohio. There, nickel‑metal hydride batteries were made and Li‑ion battery pack engineering was supported.

People and capacity: By the end of 2010, the group employed about 700 people worldwide. SB LiMotive provided lithium‑ion energy storage solutions from single cells to complete battery systems for vehicles from micro‑hybrid to full electric, along with engineering services for software, battery management systems (BMS), and cooling.

Leadership and projects: The venture was led by President Jingun Lee and Executive Vice President Dr. Joachim Fetzer. They supplied Li‑ion cells to BMW for its Megacity Vehicle project and to Fiat for the Fiat 500 EV, with development in Orion, cell production in Ulsan, and pack assembly in Springboro. Chrysler planned to bring the Fiat 500EV to the U.S. market from 2012.

Dissolution and aftercare: In March 2012 the joint venture was dissolved. Bosch received about €45 million from Samsung. Samsung kept the Ulsan cell plant and the Giheung development center, while Bosch took over the battery‑system business in Stuttgart and integrated Cobasys into Bosch. The partners also agreed to mutual access to roughly 3,000 shared patents.