GM said on Monday that it is working with the joint company LG Energy Solution to upgrade the ULTIUM battery factory to build lithium-seeder-fofflies for the low-cost EVS of the automotive industry.
The factory revision will give LFP production in the United States. In spite of the fact that it was invented and traded in the US, the overwhelming majority LFP cells are currently manufactured in China.
The $ 2.3 billion Spring Hill, the Tennessee, the battery plant is part of the ULTIUM CELLS LLC business between the automaker and the Korean battery LG Energy Solution, an LG Chem section. The plant began to draw lithium ion cells, which have nickel-Maganese-Kouvalett chemistry in 2024, about three years after the announcement for the first time. The company said it would start converting the battery cells into Spring Hill to produce LFP cells later this year, with commercial production expected by the end of 2027.
The automaker has been borne by LFP batteries in recent years for low cost and attractive security profile. The raw materials that make up chemistry are cheaper and widely available from other chemicals such as nickel-mangano-gum (NMC) and are also less likely to trigger fire.
GM follows a three -level approach to supply the battery to the EV area, which currently covers 12 models.
At the high end, it will continue to use NMC in models that require greater range. The longest Chevy Silverado EV, for example, uses a huge NMC 205 kilowatt package to drive 492 miles to a single charge.
In the middle, GM has developed a new chemistry called lithium-Maganese or LMR rich. The new chemistry reduces the amount of nickel and cobalt in a cell and replaces it with cheaper, domestic manganese available. The result, GM said, will be a package that offers more than LFP at a cost comparable to LFP today. LMR cells should hit the market in 2028.
For input vehicles, GM plans to go to LFP, Andy Oury told TechCrunch in May. Given how firmly Battery packet costs have been reduced Over time, it is likely that LFP costs will be reduced below them for LMR in the coming years. Spring Hill upgrades should start producing LFP cells for commercial sale in 2027.
