Electric car battery maker Ener1 Inc., whose subsidiary received a $118.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, on Thursday filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The Chapter 11 filing in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan is a so-called prepackaged bankruptcy, which means Ener1 has secured the support of most of its key creditors for a restructuring deal that will infuse it with up to $81 million in new capital.

"The debtor believes that the restructuring of its debt and capital structure will enable the businesses of its subsidiaries to continue without interruption while enabling the debtor to provide the working capital these businesses require," Ener1 said in court papers.

Ener1, through its subsidiaries, makes lithium-ion batteries that can be used in electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles and grid storage applications.

In 2005, its subsidiaries began developing batteries for hybrid electric vehicles in a program sponsored by Detroit 's Big Three automakers as well as a battery to be used in plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Ener1 is the latest green energy company supported by the Department of Energy that has filed for bankruptcy. Others include solar-panel maker Solyndra LLC and Beacon Power Corp. (BCONQ).

In January 2010, Ener1 subsidiary EnerDel received a $118.5 million grant from the Energy Department to finance its U.S. battery plant capacity expansion. Under the grant, EnerDel can be reimbursed for up to half of its investment in battery-manufacturing infrastructure. As of Sept. 23, EnerDel received nearly $55 million in reimbursement from the Energy Department.

EnerDel also has development contracts to create battery systems for the Department of Defense's logistics combat support agency.

The company reported assets of $73.9 million and debts of $90.5 million in its Chapter 11 petition.

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