GM’s Final EV Battery Strategy Copies China’s Playbook: Super Cheap Cells Leave a comment

Common Motors has simply introduced its newest and certain ultimate piece in what now seems to be a three-pronged cell-chemistry technique to energy GM’s lineup of a dozen EVs via the tip of the last decade and past.

GM has said right now it should construct low-cost lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cells in Spring Hill, Tennessee, beginning in late 2027. Conversion of cell traces to provide that chemistry will start later this 12 months. The cell plant on the Spring Hill complicated is owned and operated by Ultium Cells, GM’s joint-venture battery firm with LG Vitality Resolution. A GM meeting plant in the identical complicated builds the Cadillac Lyriq and Acura ZDX electrical SUVs.

Below Kurt Kelty, GM vice chairman of battery, propulsion, and sustainability, the corporate has diversified from its earlier technique of “one cell for all EVs.” Kelty was employed in February 2024 after stints at Tesla and Panasonic, and is extensively revered within the business.

The LFP cells made by Ultium are anticipated for use within the up to date 2026 Chevrolet Bolt EV, which GM ought to reveal inside two to 3 months. It is going to go into manufacturing in a Kansas plant earlier than the tip this 12 months. For its first two years, it must use LFP cells imported from one other LG plant—probably one in South Korea. These imports let GM get cheap iron-phosphate batteries onto US roads a full three years earlier than its subsequent cell chemistry, known as LMR, which it says prices not more than LFP, however has increased power density.

Nonetheless, changing a plant—at an unspecified value—to construct LFP cells suggests they are going to be used within the lineup for some time.

LMR’s Future Promise

So far, all GM EVs after the 2017-2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV have used nickel-manganese-cobalt-aluminum (NMCA) cells. These maintain essentially the most power in a given quantity, however are additionally priciest as a consequence of their nickel and cobalt content material. Delays in manufacturing of the Ultium modules holding these cells pushed out deliveries of GM’s EV lineup by 12 to 18 months, from late 2022 to early 2024. (GM EV gross sales have risen steadily for 3 quarters, suggesting these troubles may be prior to now.)

This Might, Ultium introduced a second cell chemistry, which it calls “lithium manganese-rich” or LMR. It claims the LMR chemistry offers one-third better power density than the identical quantity of lithium iron-phosphate (LFP) cells—at a comparable cell value—and can lower the price of its largest EV vans and SUVs. These automobiles from Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC use gargantuan battery packs of 109 to 205 kilowatt-hours.

The primary LMR cells will come off a pilot line in 2027; full quantity manufacturing is slated for 2028 at a plant Ultium hasn’t disclosed. With Spring Hill now set to provide LFP cells, it appears seemingly LMR cells will come from the opposite Ultium Cells plant now in manufacturing—in Warren, Ohio.

Compact Chemistry

Including lithium-iron-phosphate rounds out the suite of chemistries GM is probably going to make use of in its EVs from this 12 months via the early 2030s. That applies, not less than, to these produced outdoors China; the assorted fashions it builds in China have lengthy included LFP chemistries, the dominant chemistry in that nation.

A lot of the mental property round LFP chemistries is owned by Chinese language companies, which has triggered hassle for Ford because it tries so as to add LFP cells for future EV fashions. A GM spokesperson instructed WIRED that no mental property for the LFP cells it should produce with accomplice LG Vitality Resolution is owned by any Chinese language entity.