GM to Build LMR Battery Line at Tennessee Plant… '33% Higher Energy Density Compared to LFP'

*This content was translated by AI.

General Motors (GM) announced that it will rapidly establish a production facility for lithium-manganese-rich (LMR) prismatic batteries at its Ultium Cells joint venture plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee, aiming for Yangsan by 2028.

This project is expected to become a key turning point in GM's electrification strategy to maximize cost reduction and efficiency. Paul Jacobson, GM's Chief Financial Officer (CFO), explained, "The introduction of LMR batteries will reduce manufacturing costs by thousands of dollars per vehicle and represents a significant leap that greatly enhances the driving range and product value of electric vehicles."

LMR batteries are characterized by providing approximately 33% improved energy density compared to existing lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries while maintaining equivalent price competitiveness. In particular, by significantly reducing the proportion of nickel and cobalt and using abundant manganese as a primary raw material, cost burdens have been greatly lowered. The Spring Hill plant has already established an LFP cell production system for energy storage systems (ESS) through cooperation with LG Energy Solution, and this investment will transform it into the world's first large-scale Yangsan hub for prismatic LMR batteries. Construction of the plant is scheduled to begin in late 2026 and be completed by 2028, and this equipment expansion will create approximately 500 new jobs, expanding total on-site employment to a scale of 1,700 people.

GM and LG Energy Solution plan to make a total investment of $1 billion by 2030 regarding ESS and LMR battery projects. Kurt Kelty, GM's Vice President of Battery and Sustainability, explained that while high-performance high-nickel batteries will continue to support the top-tier LINEup, LMR technology surpasses the performance limitations of existing mainstream chemistries, simultaneously achieving superior performance and lower costs. Meanwhile, the strategy is to optimize cell integration design within battery packs to enhance space efficiency and maximize overall vehicle production efficiency.

GM's policy is to secure profitability and market competitiveness simultaneously by strengthening the fundamentals of existing product lines and advancing core technologies rather than indiscriminately expanding new car models, while also lowering the overall price barrier for electrified models to bring forward the era of mass adoption. The commercialization of LMR batteries is expected to be a decisive opportunity for GM to solidify both cost competitiveness and technological leadership in the global electric vehicle market.

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*This content was translated by AI.