Press Release

Lithium Energy Japan
GS Yuasa Corporation
Mitsubishi Corporation
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation

Lithium Energy Japan Secures Plant site and Buildings for World's First Mass Production of Large Lithium-ion Batteries for EVs

Large lithium-ion batteries to be mass produced
LEV50 (cell),LEV50-4 (module)

View of the office and factory

Tokyo, August 6, 2008 — Lithium Energy Japan has secured a suitable lot and building for a factory in Kusatsu City, Shiga Prefecture, and begun installment of a mass production line.

The Shareholders of Lithium Energy Japan had been on the look out for a suitable plant site with a shared aim at increasing production. It was GS Yuasa that secured the plant site and building in Kusatsu City, on July 31, 2008. Lithium Energy will take the land and the building on lease and develop it into it's first mass production site. All the production equipments should be installed and trial operations completed within fiscal year 2008. Beginning in early fiscal year 2009, annual production of 200,000 cells of the company's "LEV50 (cell capacity 50Ah)" lithium-ion batteries will commence. These batteries are for use in electric vehicles (EV), and the targeted annual production is enough to power 2000 of the next-generation electric vehicle "i-MiEV" (Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle) produced by Mitsubishi Motors Corporation.

Furthermore, with few competitors manufacturing these kinds of large lithium-ion batteries, there have been a great many inquiries, from both Japan and around the world, about their applications in the automobile sector and in general industry. Lithium Energy Japan with it's marketing team is aiming to address as many of these inquiries as possible. Once the mass production is underway, Lithium Energy Japan plans to expand the production capacity quickly to around five times the scale at launch and also aims to continuously expand production scale in the long term in order to meet the needs of the company's expanding customer base.

[ Overview of Lithium Energy Japan ]
Lithium Energy Japan was jointly established by three companies in December, 2007, to develop, manufacture, and sell large lithium-ion batteries: GS Yuasa Power Supply Ltd. (GYPS) (wholly-owned subsidiary of GS Yuasa Corporation, President Makoto Yoda, Head Office Minami-ku, Kyoto), Mitsubishi Corporation(MC) (President Yorihiko Kojima, Head Office Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation(MMC) (President Osamu Masuko, Head Office Minato-ku, Tokyo).

1. Corporate Name	Lithium Energy Japan
2. President	Katsuyuki Ono
3. Establishment	December 12th, 2007
4. Location of Headquarters	1, Inobanba-cho, Nishinosho, Kisshoin, Minami-ku, Kyoto, Japan
5. Capital	2 billion yen
6. Investors	GYPS 51%, MC 34%, MMC 15%
7. Business	Development, Manufacturing & Sales of Large Lithium-ion batteries
8. Mass Production Factory	Location: 8-10-5 Kasayama, Kusatsu City, Shiga Prefecture Lot space: 20,048m² Building space: 7,873m²