Prime Highlights:
- LG Energy Solution and General Motors (GM) will start mass production of lithium manganese-rich (LMR) battery cells in 2028.
- New prismatic battery cells will provide drivers with over a 400-mile range and significantly lower cost of production.
Key Facts:
- LMR battery cells will be manufactured at Ultium Cells plants in Ohio and Tennessee.
- The LMR chemistry reduces the dependency on costly and ethically challenged materials like cobalt and nickel.
Key Background:
General Motors (GM) and LG Energy Solution have both announced that they are working on and have scheduled commercial production of a new lithium manganese-rich (LMR) type of battery cell, and start production in 2028. The new chemistry for the battery is a strategic initiative to lower the cost and enhance the driving range of electric vehicles (EVs). In contrast to conventional nickel-dense battery cells on production lines today, the LMR cells contain up to 70% manganese, a less expensive and more readily available metal. The shift enables GM to decrease reliance on expensive and ethically scrutinized materials such as nickel and cobalt tied to supply and environmental challenges.
The LMR cells will be manufactured at Ultium Cells joint venture facilities in Ohio and Tennessee. They also feature a prismatic shape factor, which reduces the battery pack assembly complexity by reducing parts by more than half. The technology reduces manufacturing cost and cost of the battery. GM is looking to achieve these efficiencies so that EV battery prices will be comparable to those of conventional internal combustion engines and is aiming for lowering battery pack prices by $30 per kilowatt-hour by 2025.
With an estimated 400+ miles-per-charge driving range on electric pickup trucks, the LMR technology will allow GM to introduce more economically priced long-range EVs into the marketplace. The achievement falls under GM’s enterprise-wide focus on sustainability and responsible purchasing, as well as its environment and supply chain transparency goals. Separately, GM is also extending its battery tech portfolio by the development of different chemistries such as lithium iron phosphate (LFP) for upcoming models.
On the whole, the GM-LG production partnership of LMR batteries is a progressive step towards electric vehicles being cleaner, less expensive, and cost-effective. The technology reflects the automobile sector’s continued shift toward hastening cleaner energy technologies.
