A123 Systems rose after the maker of batteries for electric cars and trucks said it will supply packs for Tata Motors commercial vehicles.
The shares climbed 5.6 percent to $1.90 at the close in New York for their biggest daily advance since February 10. They have gained 18 percent this year, after falling 83 percent in 2011.
Tata, India’s largest automaker, will use the lithium-ion battery packs on hybrid diesel-electric city transit buses in the second half of the year, Waltham, Massachusetts-based A123 said in a statement. Terms weren’t disclosed.
“The addition of Tata Motors to our growing portfolio of blue-chip customers reinforces our position as the leading provider of lithium-ion battery technology for the truck and bus segment,” Jason Forcier, vice president of A123’s automotive group, said in the statement.
A123 supplies batteries for automakers such as Fisker Automotive, General Motors and Daimler AG. Fisker, A123’s largest customer, said February 6 that it stopped working on its Wilmington, Delaware, plant after the US Energy Department blocked access to a federal loan, citing unmet milestones.
Fisker said February 28 it hired Tom LaSorda, a past president of the predecessor of Chrysler Group LLC, as chief executive officer. Fisker also said it may look for private investors to revive the Delaware factory, where it planned to begin making its second model, the Nina sedan, by next year.
