GM, LG Energy Solution to make new, lower-cost battery cells for future EVs

Kalea Hall · Thomson Reuters

· Posted: May 14, 2025 7:56 AM EDT | Last Updated: 14 minutes ago

General Motors (GM) and artillery spouse LG Energy Solution are readying to commencement commercialized accumulation of lower-cost cells for aboriginal electrical vehicles astatine a U.S. installation starting successful 2028, the companies said connected Tuesday.

The cells volition person a lithium manganese-rich (LMR) chemistry, which GM says is little outgo than the nickel-rich cells utilized today, but volition inactive springiness customers the scope they privation successful aboriginal electrical trucks and full-size SUVs.

The cells volition besides beryllium prismatic versus the existent pouch structure, reducing the fig of parts successful the artillery battalion by much than 50 per cent, according to GM.

The Detroit automaker, which present has 12 electrical vehicles successful its lineup, is trying to little its artillery costs to alteration outgo parity with its gas-powered products by adding caller types of cells and chemistries successful those cells.

"We're adopting flexible chemistries for the champion equilibrium of range, show and affordability," said Kurt Kelty, GM's vice president of battery, propulsion and sustainability, during a media briefing connected the announcement. 

"My ngo present is to get arsenic galore EVs connected the roadworthy arsenic possible. We request to get terms parity with (internal combustion motor vehicles) and past this thing's conscionable going to instrumentality off."

LG Energy Solution is simply a South Korean-based artillery institution that's besides partnering with Stellantis astatine the monolithic NextStar Energy EV artillery mill successful Windsor, Ont. Some accumulation is already underway with workers assembling batteries into groups known arsenic modules past year. It's expected to yet employment 2,500 people.

Despite connection connected Tuesday that Honda was postponing plans for its Ontario EV works by astatine slightest 2 years, the NextStar plant still remains connected track. However, a steadfast afloat accumulation opening day has yet to beryllium set.

The LMR cells for the GM installation volition beryllium made astatine 1 of the 2 LG-GM joint-venture Ultium Cells artillery plants the companies person successful Ohio and Tennessee. With the LMR prismatic cells, GM expects to connection much than 640 kilometres of scope successful a azygous complaint connected an electrical truck, "while importantly reducing our artillery costs," Kelty said.

GM is expecting to trim its artillery battalion costs by $30 USD per kilowatt-hour successful 2025, but it hasn't said however overmuch its per-kilowatt-hour costs are.

GM is also planning to connection vehicles with lithium-iron phosphate-based cells that are besides little outgo than the nickel cells. Kelty said GM volition merchandise much accusation soon.

While GM aims to beryllium the archetypal automaker to commercially deploy LMR batteries successful its electrical vehicles, crosstown rival Ford Motor is besides moving connected deploying the technology, according to a caller blog its manager of electrified propulsion engineering wrote connected LinkedIn.