GM’s new EV battery tech will cut costs without sacrificing performance or range

GM said it will be the world’s first to mass-produce prismatic LMR battery cells. The new battery tech can deliver 33% higher energy density than LFP at a comparable cost.

GM upgrades Tennessee plant for LMR battery cells

Ultium Cells, GM’s joint venture with LG Energy Solution, announced on Tuesday that it will produce the new lithium manganese rich cells at its Spring Hill, Tennessee battery manufacturing facility.

GM and LG revealed the new battery tech over a year ago, but this is the first time it has publicly announced where production will take place.

The Spring Hill plant is expected to be “the first in the world to mass produce prismatic LMR battery cells,” the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

According to Ultium Cells, LMR batteries hold the potential to deliver 33% higher energy density than lithium iron phosphate (LFP), the current leading affordable battery tech, and at a comparable cost.

GM will use the new batteries in upcoming electric trucks and full-size SUVs, aiming to offer over 400 miles of range.

Its high-nickel batteries will still deliver the highest range, Kurt Kelty, GM vice president of battery and sustainability explained. He added that “adding LMR positions us to leapfrog today’s more affordable chemistries and deliver lower costs with better performance.”

The ability to produce high-nickel, LFP, and now LMR, in both pouch and prismatic form, enables GM to “scale efficiently, reach more customers, and support GM’s long-term EV strategy,” Kelty said.

Upgrades to the facility will begin later this year and are expected to be completed by 2028. The expansion will create an additional 500 jobs at the facility, bringing the workforce to 1,700.

“We’re pioneering manganese-rich battery technology to unlock premium range and performance at an affordable cost, especially in electric trucks,” Kelty said last year.

GM is expected to launch its first vehicle with the new LMR batteries in 2028. Its current longest-range EV, the Chevrolet Silverado EV, offers an estimated up to 478 miles on a single charge using the high-nickel battery. It starts at $55,895.