President Obama recently helped break ground on a new lithium ion battery cell plant. The plant, in Holland, Michigan, will manufacture cells for electric vehicles like the Chevrolet Volt.

Last August, the Obama Administration appointed $2.4 billion in stimulus spending aimed at encouraging development of new battery and electric-vehicle technology. The ninth of nine new factories to start construction, the Compact Power facility is a direct result of significant grants from that fund. Representing the latest step in the country’s transition to a new green economy, the plant will create more than 400 construction and manufacturing jobs.

Many of the lithium-ion cells produced at the plant will be shipped across state to a GM plant to be assembled into batteries that will power the Volt. To date, the manufacturer has performed over a million miles of testing on the battery systems and will offer an 8 year/100,000 mile warranty on the Volt this fall.