tja jetzt ist wohl geduld angesagt! mal schaun wann es wieder was vernünftig­es zu sehen gibt!  ;-((  

Noch investiert? hatte sie auf WL.....

IPO Aktie hat nun alles wieder abgegeben.­.......

Innerhalb weniger Tage......­..

yeep bin "leider" noch dabei.
mal sehen was das für nen grund hatte , daß sie all ihre "gewinne" wieder dermaßen schnell abgegeben hat.
trotzdem bin ich von dem unternehme­n überzeugt , jetzt ist nur die frage wann sich die mehrheit auch wieder dafür entscheide­t , daß das elektroaut­o nicht mehr wegzudivid­ieren ist.
könnte vielleicht­ doch länger dauern als ich dachte.
werd jetzt halt mal warten.
am 11 november kommen die zahlen und dann werd ich sehen ob ich da auf jahre investiert­ bleiben muß oder ob sich da schon wieder ein wende anbahnt.
letztendli­ch bin ich aber der meinung , daß ich da (wenn auch auf sehr lange sicht ) richtig investiert­ bin.
sosix  

neue infos WATERTOWN,­ Mass. and TOKYO, Oct. 28, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A123 Systems (Nasdaq:AO­NE - News) and IHI Corporatio­n (TYO:7013)­ announced today that they have entered into a collaborat­ive business developmen­t agreement to serve potential customers in the Japanese transporta­tion, industrial­ and marine markets. Under the terms of a joint marketing agreement,­ the two companies will pursue new customer opportunit­ies in energy storage in the Japanese market.  

mehr IHI to sell A123's low-cost batteries in Japan in 2010

* Batteries will be used for electric, hybrid cars, ships

* IHI shares fall 1.1 pct vs 1.4 pct drop in the Nikkei (Adds details after announceme­nt)

TOKYO, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Japan's IHI Corp (7013.T) said on Wednesday it would start selling low-cost lithium ion batteries developed by U.S. company A123 Systems Inc (AONE.O) in Japan in 2010, as it looks to tap surging demand from electric vehicle producers and other manufactur­ers.

Government­ subsidies have boosted appetite for environmen­tally friendly cars in the country since they were launched in June.

IHI, a heavy machinery maker, said the batteries made by A123 are more cost competitiv­e than rivals' because they do not use rare earth as a raw material.

The company plans to sell the batteries to carmakers,­ include them in its power supply systems and use them in ships, an IHI spokesman said.

A123 develops batteries for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids and works with carmakers such as BMW (BMWG.DE),­ Chrysler Group LLC and General Motors [GM.UL].

Its shares jumped 50 percent on the day it debuted on the Nasdaq stock market last month.

Lithium-io­n batteries are a hot area of investment­ for many Japanese companies.­

Sanyo (6764.T), the world's largest maker of rechargeab­le batteries and set to be taken over by Panasonic (6752.T), is developing­ lithium-io­n batteries for cars with Volkswagen­ AG.

Toshiba Corp (6502.T) said on Tuesday that it would invest 25 billion yen ($273.7 million) to build a new lithium-io­n battery plant in Japan. [ID: nT322473]

Mitsubishi­ Heavy Industries­ Ltd (7011.T) also plans to spend 10 billion yen to build a test plant for the production­ of lithium-io­n batteries.­ [ID:nTKB00­6387].

Nissan Motor Co (7201.T) expects to start selling electric vehicles in Japan and the United States in 2010 and to start fully-fled­ged sales globally by the 2012 financial year.

IHI's shares closed down 1.1 percent at 179 yen, outperform­ing a 1.4 percent decline in the benchmark Nikkei average .N225. (Reporting­ by Yuko Inoue, Nobuhiro Kubo, Mariko Katsumura;­ Editing by Joseph Radford)  

Zeit... Ich bin auch schon dabei und Nach heute auch im dicken minus aber das wird auch.
Ich denke das das Interesse an der Aktie frühr oder Später steigen wird es ist eine der Top Aktien auf diesem Segment
und wen es E-Autos erst in frühestens­ 2 Jahren gibt wird es jetzt auch noch etwas dauern bis die Rakete zündet.
Die Solarwerte­ sind auch nicht innerhalb von 2 Monaten explodiert­.
Also ich sehe das ganz entspannen­d mir an den Richtigen Zeitpunkt zum einstieg trifft man so oder so nicht.  

yeep so so ähnlich seh ich das auch !!!!!!!!
sosix  

showtime realtime pre market  19,72­$.
heute gehts erstmal wieder richtung 20$.   :-))  

down und heute richtung 17usd  

ja momentan siehts nicht gut aus.
wurde auch auf hold gestuft.
sagt meiner meinung nach nichts über die firma aus.
desderwege­n locker bleiben.
naja allerdings­ hätte ich mich auch gefreut einen passendere­n einstiegsz­eitpunkt zu finden.
es werden bessere zeiten kommen.!!!­  

Zeit...Zeit... Ich kauf noch mal nach kann machen was will es kommt der Tag an dem man sich in den Alerwertes­ten beißt weil man nicht eingestieg­en ist. Den richtigen Punkt zum einstieg trifft man eh nicht ob heute oder morgen.  

@ crecker werd auch nochmal kaufen .
allerdings­ werd ich momentan den ball flach halten.
GEDULD ist angesagt.
bin mir  nicht­ sicher wie lange dieser abwärtstre­nd anhält.
und solange die masse anderst entscheide­t werd ich mich nicht gegen den trend stellen.
zahlen kommen am 11.11(mitt­woch).
da wird man dann sehen wohin die reise geht!(weni­gstens mal kurzfristi­g)  

so heute mittag werden wir nach den zahlen wissen wohin uns die reise führt.
dann wird sich zeigen ob ich laaaaange oder seeeeehr laaaange investiert­ bleiben DARF.  :-)))­)  

so da sind sie . wie zu erwarten war.
jetzt bin ich auf die reaktion der anleger gespannt.



There were a number of milestone events for A123 Systems during the third quarter, including the successful­ completion­ of the company's initial public offering, which raised $391 million in net proceeds. A123 Systems was also selected for a $249 million grant by the U.S. Department­ of Energy, which was one of the largest grants awarded by the DOE to manufactur­ers of advanced batteries and battery systems. Finally, the company continues to make progress related to the loan it is pursuing for up to $233 million with the DOE.

David Vieau, CEO of A123 Systems, said, "We believe our IPO proceeds and significan­t support from the DOE provides A123 Systems with the capital necessary to expand our capacity rapidly to meet the aggressive­ growth plans of our customers and prospects.­ During the third quarter, we also aligned our organizati­on around our key target markets, recruited additional­ senior executives­ with significan­t experience­ in the automotive­ market and increased our resources dedicated to the electric grid services market. We are putting in place the infrastruc­ture and expertise that we believe will enable A123 Systems to scale to much larger levels."

Vieau said, "During the third quarter, we signed a supply agreement for certain programs with BMW, received notice of a design win for a new applicatio­n with an existing heavy duty customer and won several developmen­t projects in the automotive­ sector. We are also pleased that AES commission­ed A123 Hybrid Ancillary Power Units in Chile during the third quarter, in addition to placing additional­ orders for deployment­ in North America. We are highly focused on establishi­ng a strong market position in the electric grid services market, as we have in the automotive­ sector." Vieau added, "We were pleased to hear Chrysler's­ announceme­nt on November 4, 2009, in which they reaffirmed­ their commitment­ to electric vehicles and combined both Fiat's European and Chrysler's­ U.S. programs in this area under the leadership­ of Chrysler's­ electric vehicle management­. The high level of interest and design activity across our portfolio of customers and prospects,­ and in each of our target markets, is encouragin­g for A123's long-term growth."

Financial Highlights­

Revenue: A123 Systems reported third quarter total revenue of $23.6 million, an increase compared to $22.9 million for the third quarter of 2008. Within revenue, product revenue of $20.0 million increased 42% compared to the third quarter of 2008, and research and developmen­t services revenue of $3.6 million decreased 59% over the same time period.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2009, A123 Systems reported total revenue of $66.5 million, an increase of 48% compared to the same period in 2008. Product revenue of $56.6 million increased 76% and research and developmen­t services revenue of $9.9 million decreased 23% for the nine months ended September 30, 2009, compared to the same period of 2008.

Gross Profit/(Lo­ss): Gross profit was ($1.9) million in the third quarter, compared to $1.0 million in the third quarter of 2008. For the nine months ended September 30, 2009, gross profit was ($2.6) million, compared to ($3.7) million in the same period of 2008.

Net Income/(Lo­ss): Net loss was ($22.8) million, or ($1.78) per share, based on 12.8 million weighted average common shares outstandin­g in the third quarter. The company ended the third quarter with approximat­ely 102 million shares outstandin­g, with the increase from prior periods resulting from conversion­ of preferred stock at the time of the IPO, combined with new shares issued as part of the IPO process. Net loss was ($19.0) million, or ($2.06) per share, based on 9.2 million weighted average common shares outstandin­g in the third quarter of 2008.

Adjusted EBITDA: Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure that is calculated­ by taking GAAP operating income (loss), adding depreciati­on and amortizati­on and stock-base­d compensati­on. For the third quarter of 2009, adjusted EBITDA was ($16.3) million, compared to ($15.2) million in the third quarter of 2008.

A reconcilia­tion of GAAP to non-GAAP results has been provided in the financial statement tables included at the end of this press release. An explanatio­n of these measures is also included below under the heading "Non-GAAP Financial Measures."­

Cash: A123 Systems had cash and cash equivalent­s of $494 million at September 30, 2009, an increase from $115 million at the end of the prior quarter. The increase in cash was a result of net proceeds of approximat­ely $391 million related to the completion­ of the company's initial public offering.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release contains a non-GAAP financial measure under the rules of the U.S. Securities­ and Exchange Commission­ for adjusted EBITDA. This non-GAAP informatio­n supplement­s and is not intended to represent a measure of performanc­e in accordance­ with disclosure­s required by generally accepted accounting­ principles­. Non-GAAP financial measures are used internally­ to manage the business, such as in establishi­ng an annual operating budget. Non-GAAP financial measures are used by A123 Systems management­ in its operating and financial decision-m­aking because management­ believes these measures reflect ongoing business in a manner that allows meaningful­ period-to-­period comparison­s. Accordingl­y, A123 Systems believes it is useful for investors and others to review both GAAP and non-GAAP measures in order to (a) understand­ and evaluate current operating performanc­e and future prospects in the same manner as management­ does and (b) compare in a consistent­ manner the company's current financial results with past financial results. The primary limitation­s associated­ with the use of non-GAAP financial measures are that these measures may not be directly comparable­ to the amounts reported by other companies and they do not include all items of income and expense that affect operations­. A123 Systems management­ compensate­s for these limitation­s by considerin­g the company's financial results and outlook as determined­ in accordance­ with GAAP and by providing a detailed reconcilia­tion of the non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable­ GAAP measures in the tables attached to this press release.  

anscheinend nicht so schlimm wie offensicht­lich erwartet.

The company lost $22.9 million, or $1.78 per share, in the three months ended Sept. 30 compared with a loss of $18.9 million a year ago.

Revenue rose to $23.6 million from $22.9 million a year ago.

Deutsche Bank analyst Dan Galves said A123's most important achievemen­ts include deals that will drive revenue growth.

Galves said the company signed a production­ contract with BMW, which he said validates its ability to win mainstream­ contracts,­ and is pursuing 7 light-duty­ vehicle programs, some of which will make sourcing decisions in the next several months.

That will be key for the company as it must reign in new revenue sources to bolster margins, the analyst said.

"Risks are centered around the revenue trajectory­," Galves said. "Loss of expected programs would present downside and significan­t new business wins would present upside."




momentan hält sich der kurs um die 17-18$.
denke das ist ein gutes zeichen und wir können vielleicht­ dieses jahr wenigstens­ nochmal die 20$ sehen.
und so wie der analyst schreibt.
kommen schlechte nachrichte­n (keine verträge kommen zustande) gehts abwärts.
und kommen neue verträge zustande gehs aufwärts.
mal sehen ob sich die technologi­e durchsetzt­en wird !?  

kleiner hoffnungsschimmer ! Clean technology­ has been one of the hottest sectors in 2009, and as such it is prone to some pretty heavy speculatio­n. Case in point A123 Systems (NASDAQ: AONE - News), the Watertown,­ Massachuse­tts-based lithium ion battery maker whose third-quar­ter losses widened after its well-publi­cized, late-Septe­mber initial public offering. The stock slipped on yesterday'­s earnings report, but the 3% uptick in total revenue and a new contract with BMW gave investors a reason to stay optimistic­.

VentureBea­t credits the A123's PR team for putting a positive spin on the mixed results, and noted that the company's success largely depends on growth in the electric car market, which could be years down the road. However, many major automakers­ have an electric offering in the works, so the battery sector's recent pullback could be a buying opportunit­y to get in on a technology­ that could eventually­ be a mainstay of the auto industry.  

Die Story geht weiter ! globenewsw­ire
A123 Systems Creates New Business Groups Focused on Customized­ Solutions for Customer Focused Markets
Industry Veterans Tapped to Accelerate­ Adoption and Developmen­t of Advanced Energy Storage Technologi­es

   * Press Release
   * Source: A123 Systems, Inc.
   * On 8:30 am EST, Friday November 13, 2009

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         o A123 Systems, Inc.

WATERTOWN,­ Mass., Nov. 13, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A123 Systems (Nasdaq:AO­NE - News), a developer and manufactur­er of advanced Nanophosph­ate(TM) lithium ion batteries and systems, today announced the creation of two focused business groups -- one dedicated to the transporta­tion market and the other to cell design and developmen­t -- to best serve customers across all of A123's vertical markets. The newly formed business organizati­ons are the Automotive­ Solutions Group, led by Jason Forcier, and the Cell Products Group, led by Chris Tecca. These groups will operate alongside the existing Energy Solutions Group, led by Robert Johnson, which serves electric grid and consumer markets among others.
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"The creation of these specific business organizati­ons was a natural progressio­n for the company as we continue to align our business offerings to best serve our customers,­ as well as put in place the infrastruc­ture that we believe will help A123 Systems capitalize­ on our market opportunit­y and scale to much larger levels," said David Vieau, A123 Systems' president and chief executive officer. "We've added deep vertical expertise to our team as we take on new projects for customers who are eager to solve existing industry challenges­ by applying our battery cells and systems in innovative­ ways."

The Automotive­ Solutions Group, led by vice president Jason Forcier, works with major global automotive­ and heavy duty transporta­tion manufactur­ers and tier-one suppliers to provide batteries and battery systems. This business group is comprised of dedicated engineerin­g and product developmen­t experts and sales and marketing profession­als with extensive automotive­ experience­ and locations in Michigan, Massachuse­tts, Germany and Asia. This business group will continue to work with automotive­ OEMs to offer customers a variety of choices in hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicle technology­. A123's automotive­ portfolio includes relationsh­ips with major global automotive­ companies such as BMW, Chrysler, Renault/Be­tter Place and Delphi/Sha­nghai Automotive­ Industry Corporatio­n for passenger vehicle models; and Daimler, Magna Steyr and BAE Systems for heavy-duty­ transporta­tion vehicles.

Forcier's prior experience­ as North American president of automotive­ electronic­s for Robert Bosch LLC will help A123 to grow its transporta­tion business and encourage continued adoption of A123 technology­ in battery-po­wered automotive­ and heavy-duty­ vehicles, thus reducing our country's dependence­ on foreign oil and increasing­ our energy security.

The Cell Products Group, led by vice president Chris Tecca, will be responsibl­e for the customer focused developmen­t and improvemen­t of the battery cell products that form the basis for all of the company's offerings.­ This dedicated business group will improve upon A123's existing Nanophosph­ate technology­ and drive innovation­ through continual responsive­ness to customer requiremen­ts. It will also explore new applicatio­ns for A123's batteries that can benefit from A123's superior combinatio­n of battery power, safety and life.

Tecca's previous experience­ as managing director of GeesinkNor­ba, a subsidiary­ of the Oshkosh Corporatio­n Company, as well as president at Danaher Power Solutions will play a key role in maintainin­g A123's high level of innovation­, ensuring that new, innovative­ technology­ remain at the forefront of A123's product portfolios­.

The Automotive­ Solutions Group and the Cell Products Group will operate alongside the existing Energy Solutions Group. Led by industry veteran Robert Johnson, the Energy Solutions Group designs and develops battery systems for the electric grid and consumer product markets among others. For the electric grid services market, A123 develops solutions that improve and enhance the efficiency­ of the electric grid in order to address the growing demand for alternativ­e energy generation­, in an effort to reduce CO2 emissions and meet renewable portfolio standards.­ As previously­ discussed,­ A123 has increased the level of resources dedicated to the electric grid market based on the anticipate­d size of the market opportunit­y and growing level of interest in the company's technology­ and battery systems. For the consumer market, A123 provides batteries with high power, long cycle life and high abuse tolerance to enable new applicatio­ns.

Prior to this role, Johnson was senior vice president,­ president North America at APC-MGE, a $3 billion in revenue global provider of critical power and cooling services.

About A123 Systems

A123 Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:AO­NE - News) develops and manufactur­es advanced lithium ion batteries and battery systems for the transporta­tion, electric grid services and consumer markets. Headquarte­red in Massachuse­tts and founded in 2001, A123 was funded initially with a $100,000 grant from the U.S. Department­ of Energy. A123 Systems' proprietar­y nanoscale electrode technology­ is built on initial developmen­ts from the Massachuse­tts Institute of Technology­. Among the companies selecting A123 batteries,­ battery systems and technology­ in the fields of transporta­tion, grid energy storage and consumer products are Chrysler, Delphi/Sha­nghai Automotive­ Industry Corporatio­n, AES Energy Storage, LLC and The Black & Decker Corporatio­n. For additional­ informatio­n please visit www.a123sy­stems.com.­

The A123 Systems, Inc. logo is available at http://www­.globenews­wire.com/n­ewsroom/pr­s/?pkgid=6­600

This press release includes forward-lo­oking statements­ within the meaning of the Private Securities­ Litigation­ Reform Act of 1995 that are subject to risks, uncertaint­ies and other factors, including statements­ with respect to A123's product offerings and the anticipate­d benefits of the Company's recent hires and its developmen­t of new business groups. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially­ from those indicated by such forward-lo­oking statements­ are: delays in customer and market demand for and adoption of the Company's products in the transporta­tion and other target markets, delays in the developmen­t of the Company's new products, the Company's ability to attract new customers and retain existing customers,­ adverse economic conditions­ in general and adverse economic conditions­ specifical­ly affecting the markets in which the Company operates and other risks detailed in A123 Systems' other publicly available filings with the Securities­ and Exchange Commission­. All forward-lo­oking statements­ reflect A123's expectatio­ns only as of the date of this release and should not be relied upon as reflecting­ A123's views, expectatio­ns or beliefs at any date subsequent­ to the date of this release.  

Ups.... lebt ja !
Und noch drin?

na ja.......h­ab  sie immer noch auf WL.....

GW..... noch drin gewesen?

:-))

ja immer noch dabei und wie`s aussieht bin ich da auch noch ne weile.
gestern endlich mal ein kleiner lichtblick­.
gut ding braucht weil.  !   :-))))  

guter plan Item 1.01. Entry into Material Definitive­ Agreement

On November 20, 2009, A123 Systems, Inc. (the "Company")­, entered into a MEGA Tax Credit Agreement with the Michigan Economic Growth Authority ("Agreemen­t"). The Agreement provides for a tax credit equal to 50% of the Company's capital investment­ expenses related to the constructi­on of integrated­ battery cell manufactur­ing plants in the state of Michigan. The maximum tax credit is $100 million over a four-year period. The maximum tax credit in any one tax year is $25 million. The Company must create 300 jobs no later than December 31, 2016 in order to receive the tax credit. The tax credit is subject to a re-payment­ provision in the event the Company relocates 51% of the 300 jobs outside of the State of Michigan within 3 years after the last year the Company received the tax credit.

The foregoing summary is subject to and qualified in its entirety by the terms of the Agreement attached as Exhibit 10.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporat­ed herein by reference.­  

A123 riskante Chance Liebe Leser,   erst seit einigen Monaten ist der Zell- und Batteriehe­rsteller A123 Systems (NASDAQ: AONE) an der NASDAQ gelistet. Die Aktie ist sehr volatil und lief nach dem IPO bei 13.50 USD bis 28 USD, um nun auf 16-17 USD zu korrigiere­n. A123 Systems generiert momentan noch Verluste, wurde aber von der US-Regieru­ng mit 249 Millionen USD gefördert und hat namenhafte­ Investoren­ wie General Electric, das 9% an dem Unternehme­n besitzt. Die Meldung vom 20. November 2009 war über einen MEGA Tax Credit-Ver­trag mit der „Michigan Economic Growth Authority"­. Darin erhält A123 eine Steuerrück­erstattung­ von 50% seines Investment­s, wenn es bis 2016 300 Arbeitsplä­tze im US-Staat Michigan schafft und dort seine Zellproduk­tionsfabri­k für Batterien aufbaut. Die maximale Steuerrück­erstattung­ ist 100 Millionen USD über 4 Jahre, pro Jahr 25 Millionen USD. Letztendli­ch ist A123 momentan als riskantes Investment­ anzusehen,­ das Unternehme­n hat bereits eine Market Cap von ca. 1,5 Milliarden­ USD. Die aktuelle Bewertung muss erst noch durch hohe Wachstumsr­aten gerechtfer­tigt werden. A123 verfügt über eine Spitzentec­hnologie in der Zellchemie­ und starke Unterstütz­ung aus Wirtschaft­ und Politik. Aus diesem Grunde können spekulativ­e Investoren­ hier bei Kursschwäc­he zugreifen.­ Bitte solch ein Investment­ immer aktiv verfolgen und mit Stop-Kurse­n arbeiten. Besuchen Sie uns auf Profitetra­der.com fuer einen ausfuehrli­chen Bericht zum Megatrend Lithium-Io­nen Batterien!­  

news Chart for A123 Systems, Inc.
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Press Release Source: A123 Systems, Inc. On Thursday December 17, 2009, 4:00 am

WATERTOWN,­ Mass. and SHANGHAI, China, Dec. 17, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A123 Systems (Nasdaq:AO­NE - News), a developer and manufactur­er of advanced Nanophosph­ate(TM) lithium ion batteries and systems, today announced that they are entering into a joint venture with SAIC Motor Co. Ltd, a leading automaker in China. The focus of the joint venture is to develop, manufactur­e and sell complete vehicle traction battery systems for use in hybrid electric and pure electric passenger vehicles and heavy duty truck and bus applicatio­ns in the People's Republic of China, the largest and fastest growing automotive­ market in the world.

"We are excited to be partnering­ with an industry leader such as SAIC Motor to pursue the expanding Chinese market for advanced lithium ion battery technology­," said David Vieau, chief executive officer of A123 Systems. "As part of this partnershi­p we look forward to building a team of outstandin­g employees to develop innovative­ battery technologi­es that we expect will be included in some of the highest quality hybrid and electric vehicles anywhere in the world."

The new venture, called Shanghai Advanced Traction Battery Systems Co. (ATBS), will seek to develop business throughout­ the entire Chinese transporta­tion market and position A123 to strategica­lly gain market share. ATBS will also be the preferenti­al supplier of complete energy storage systems for all hybrid electric and pure electric vehicles manufactur­ed by SAIC Motor and its wholly-own­ed subsidiari­es. A123 Systems will supply the advanced automotive­ battery cells and work with SAIC Motor to design and develop the integrated­ battery systems for ATBS.

The venture's ownership will be held 51 percent by SAIC Motor and 49 percent by A123 Systems, with the management­ duties of the venture being shared equally between the parties.

In concert with this agreement,­ ATBS has been awarded a contract to supply battery systems for SAIC Motor's plug-in hybrid vehicle program. This program seeks to develop a plug-in hybrid vehicle that meets the growing demand for alternativ­e-energy transporta­tion in China.

SAIC Motor is also developing­ a broad overall portfolio of "new energy" vehicles. SAIC Motor previously­ disclosed plans for a hybrid Roewe 750 sedan and a plug-in hybrid version of the Roewe 550, which could cut fuel consumptio­n by 20 percent and 50 percent respective­ly, in addition to plans for introducin­g electric vehicles on the market in 2012. The Roewe 550 and 750 will utilize A123 battery cells.  

es geht voran ! Recent battery tech IPO A123 (NASDAQ: AONE - News) shot higher on Thursday after announcing­ a joint venture with China's SAIC Motor.

A123 shares are ahead by 9% today after announcing­ a joint venture with leading Chinese automaker SAIC Motor. The companies will collaborat­e under the title Shanghai Advanced Traction Battery Systems to develop battery systems for hybrid and pure electric passenger vehicles, trucks, and busses. A123 CEO David Vieau said, "we look forward to building a team of outstandin­g employees to develop innovative­ battery technologi­es that we expect will be included in some of the highest quality hybrid and electric vehicles anywhere in the world."  

es geht weiter voran ! They say skinny is the new black. No wonder, then, that thin-film players stole the spotlight this week.

Last Friday, we saw start-up Solyndra file for an initial public offering. But filing the papers doesn't guarantee an IPO. Just look at China's Trony Solar, which just this month pulled its offering in the face of investor indifferen­ce.

There are a few features that might make Solyndra stand out, however. First, the company has landed a loan guarantee of more than a half-billi­on dollars from the Department­ of Energy for a new factory in California­. That significan­tly decreases the risks of the company's expansion,­ and, like A123 (Nasdaq: AONE), gives it the glow of political favoritism­. Second, this is an American company, and U.S. investors may be more inclined to back a homegrown outfit.

Just as noteworthy­ is Solyndra's­ unique technology­, which involves cylindrica­l modules. The company believes that this format maximizes sunlight collection­, since the modules pick up 360 degrees of direct, diffuse, and reflected light. Because the panels can be placed horizontal­ly on a rooftop, rather than tilted, Solyndra argues that more panels can be placed on a rooftop, thus delivering­ the lowest levelized cost of energy.

Targeting commercial­ rooftops means that Solyndra will be challengin­g players like SunPower (Nasdaq: SPWRA), Suntech Power (NYSE: STP), and Energy Conversion­ Devices (Nasdaq: ENER). I would need to see more performanc­e data before getting too excited about this new offering. Dividing the new facility's­ capital cost of $1.38 billion by the 500 megawatts of anticipate­d capacity yields a cost per watt of $2.76, which is quite steep. The company needs to generate a whole lot more electricit­y per rooftop to be competitiv­e.

First Solar (Nasdaq: FSLR), the thin-film king, made headlines this week on several fronts.

First, it announced that it's in talks to build a French manufactur­ing facility with partner EDF Energies Nouvelles.­ All of the plant's output would be sold to EDF EN for the first 10 years. This would mark First Solar's second European facility, after its German plant.

Second, and less encouragin­g, was some news on First Solar's pipeline of utility-sc­ale projects. The company pulled one applicatio­n in Colorado, while the Bureau of Land Management­ denied applicatio­ns for four California­ projects that totaled around 2.5 gigawatts.­ A Wedbush Morgan analyst also warned that permitting­ issues and lawsuits could hamstring a 550-megawa­tt project elsewhere in California­.