The world’s largest automotive component manufacturer – Bosch - (who is the invisible hand which guides the global auto industry) and the biggest electronics company - Samsung - have formed a new $520 million joint-venture company called - SB LiMotive Co. Ltd. - to mass-produce and market lithium batteries for the millions of electric vehicles coming online by 2011.

This new joint-venture is, in my opinion, the definitive step we have been waiting for. Only this new global powerhouse can provide the volume of vehicle-size Lithium batteries necessary to finally make electric vehicles a reality! Finally, volume will bring the cost of these batteries down in price!

SB LiMotive’s manufacturing capacity is vast. Bosch has vast production facilities dispersed amongst 50 countries, while Samsung has extensive resources and experience in design and manufacturing gained from the electronics industry.

The joint venture project will,in my opinion, be seen as the beginning of a new era… And more than in just transportation… but the beginning of the end of the Petroleum age! Well, that’s a bit much maybe, but, I think we can safely say that for the first time, MAJOR world players (especially in the Petroleum industry) will “sit-up” and take notice! They better stop fighting the inevitable and start to figure out how they’re going to make money in the post petroleum age.

My Take: It looks like these two companies are going to grow… So if you’re an investor… What’s also interesting is that the HUGE auto industry isn’t the only place these companies are investing in… It seems that windmills are also a big part of the picture. So, It’s even more positive news!

Lastly, I also read that Sanyo and Volkswagon are working together, and Mitsubishi and even Exxon are going to start making vehicle size Lithium batteries… So - The Electric Vehicle Era HAS FINALLY BEGUN!