Johnson Controls, a global multi-industrial company, will use the lab to test its recently announced 12-volt Lithium-ion battery in its prototype Advanced Start-Stop vehicle. The technology can improve fuel economy and emissions by up to 8%. The company’s 48-volt Micro Hybrid system, which gets up to 15% fuel economy, is also part of the research and development with LTU.

The work we are doing with LTU is important because we can develop, optimize and validate battery systems inside the complete vehicle environment to meet our customers’ future needs.

—MaryAnn Wright, vice president of engineering and product development for Johnson Controls Power Solutions

The partnership, which began in 2014, also focuses on developing the next generation of engineers by involving them in the research projects and teaming them with LTU faculty and Johnson Controls technical experts.