Boston-Power ramps battery production in Taiwan

The top consumer battery manufacturer in China is dedicating its lithium ion factory in Taiwan to making Boston-Power’s Sonata battery for laptop computers.

Westborough, Mass.-based lithium-ion battery maker Boston-Power said today it established the five-year strategic partnership with Taiwan-based GP Batteries to expand mass production of the Sonata battery. GP Batteries is part of Gold Peak Industries.

The agreement doubles the battery production at the factory by the end of the year and established a joint R&D agreement between the companies on the Sonata. GP Batteries plans to manufacture the Sonata using technology and some parts provided by Boston-Power.

The companies began working together in 2007.

As part of the agreement, Boston-Power named industry veteran James Tsoi as general manager for Asia.

Boston-Power is ramping its production on the heels of a deal to supply the Sonata battery as an upgrade for laptops by Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) laptops (see Boston-Power eyes vehicle market as it gets $55M funding).

Last month, Boston-Power received an additional $55 million in growth capital, bringing the company’s total raised to $125 million since it was founded in 2005, including $45 million in its Series C funding in January 2008 (see Bad week for biodiesel and Time to start a Chinese solar co.).