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Q&A

  • Magazine Article
  • 19AUTP09_15
Published September 01, 2019 by SAE International in United States
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  • English

Few battery experts in the mobility industry can match the engineer/entrepreneur spirit of Subash Dhar. In a career spanning nearly 40 years, Dhar is co-inventor of over 45 patents and patent applications in the field of advanced batteries and fuel cell technologies. He led the team that developed and commercialized the nickel-metal hydride technology used in the Toyota Prius and has served in leadership positions at XALT Energy, Ener-1, EnerDel, and Ovonic.

Dhar, a chemical engineer, recently founded a new company, American Battery Solutions, Inc., focused on module and pack engineering, assembly, and battery-systems integration. He's aiming for EV customers in the transportation, industrial-, and commercial-vehicle sectors who are seeking expertise at low and medium volumes. With $50 million in capital backing from NY-based KCK Group, Dhar purchased foundational assets from Bosch's North American battery-systems business, including a testing lab, a 172,000 square-foot plant in Ohio, and the lease on a 40,000 square-foot plant complex in Lake Orion, Michigan.