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Romeo Power Technology, the energy storage technology company founded by top engineers and designers from SpaceX, Tesla, Amazon and Samsung, has announced the completion of its fully-automated 113,000 square-foot lithium-ion battery pack manufacturing facility near downtown Los Angeles. The inauguration of the West Coast’s first dedicated battery pack manufacturing facility was marked with a celebration and ribbon cutting ceremony by Romeo’s executive team for employees, local public officials and community guests.
“Romeo’s state-of-the-art factory is both proof and promise of our place in the new energy economy,” said Romeo co-founder and CEO Michael Patterson. “Contrary to what many fear, automation is creating jobs – in this case, over 200 good jobs. Competitive, in-demand jobs with living wages.”
Romeo Power Technology’s new factory is slated to produce 1 gigawatt hour by end of year and will quadruple capacity by 2018 to 4 gigawatt hours. Spearheaded by Romeo’s Chief Production Officer Mark Schwager who previously oversaw Tesla’s gigafactory development and design, the new facility now manufactures the most powerful and energy-dense battery packs in the world.
All Romeo lithium-ion battery packs for EVs and stationary applications are designed, engineered, tested and produced on site, and the facility features the only research and development and testing lab on the West Coast. The battery packs are designed and optimized based on specific power and energy density needs, ranging in size from 1 kWh to 1 MWh.
“Our people aren’t assemblers, they’re problem-solvers, forging the way to a sustainable future,” said Schwager. “Our mission to advance energy technology has never been more critical.”
The company currently has contracts and design agreements in place that span U.S. and European automakers, manufacturers of motorcycles and forklifts, industrial players such as Power Designers, robotics companies, among others. Romeo is now ramping production of its lithium-ion battery pack and stationary storage technologies and is fulfilling orders at full capacity.
The breakthrough battery packs Romeo makes are the most energy dense on the market. They charge faster and go farther than the current packs in some of the most popular electric vehicles on the road, and will change the market forever by dramatically extending the range people expect from an electric vehicle, and help hasten the transition to all-electric transportation.
Romeo is also helping businesses slash their utility bills with state-of-the-art stationary energy storage solutions that change the way energy is consumed. By harvesting electricity at night when it’s cheaper, businesses can save money and reduce demand at peak times, helping the grid remain stable. And, while Romeo continues to focus on its mission to advance energy technology, it will never lose sight of why the company came together in the first place – to end energy poverty around the world by 2023.
Today, there are more than 1 billion people on the planet who lack access to safe and affordable electricity. When the sun goes down they live in darkness. And when they cook they’re forced to use fuels that pollute the air they breathe in their homes.
“The success of the products we make right here in Vernon will help fund our efforts to provide more affordable and sustainable products to the people in developing nations,” said Patterson. “There’s a lot of work ahead, and 2023 is not that far off. But today we prove that hard work, passion, and vision pay off. Today we celebrate the hard work that got us here, and the people behind it.”