JCS's Mary Ann Wright Is Charged Up on Hybrid Batteries

Published: 14-Nov-2007

MILWAUKEE -- Mary Ann Wright, the former chief engineer for the Ford Escape hybrid, is now leading Johnson Controls Inc.'s effort to become a world leader in development of hybrid battery systems.

Johnson Controls is the biggest seller of lead-acid batteries in the world, but all of the batteries used in hybrid vehicles on the road today were made in Japan.

In her new role, Wright has worked to integrate the technology being developed by France-based Saft with the auto-parts manufacturing experience of Johnson Controls. The joint venture now has three production contracts, with Mercedes, the Chinese automaker Chery and an unidentified automaker, as well as a dozen or more development contracts.

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