Detroit Awakens

In November 2004, shortly after General Motors had announced it was pulling the plug on the EV1, Mark Verbrugge was called upon to explain the auto industry’s growing interest in lithium-ion batteries to a group of GM technical leaders. The GM leaders had selected Verbrugge for good reason: He knew about lithium-ion, having watched its evolution for thirteen years, and he supported the idea of using it in electrified vehicles. Moreover, he had a command of the subject that gave him an air of authority. Verbrugge had a PhD in chemical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and was