Source: Gasgoo
Gm has announced plans to build four battery plants in the United States and the second of which has already started producing cells.
Ultium Cells, a joint venture between GM and LG New Energy, said it had delivered the first batch of cells from a new plant in Tennessee. It will be used in GM’s electric vehicles.
Ultium Cells said the first batch of cells were shipped from its plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee, on March 21. The Warren plant in Ohio already began its production in November 2022.
Image source: GM
“We wait this moment for a long time, and I am so grateful to the thousands of contractors, community partners and team members who have worked tirelessly to make this moment a reality,” Chris Desautels, head of Ultium Cells’ Spring Hill plant, said in a statement.
Ultium Cells said the batteries made in Tennessee were on their way to GM’s Spring Hill manufacturing plant, which makes the electric version of Cadillac’s Lyriq. The Tennessee plant will ship batteries to other GM plants more frequently as the production line increased.
“The Tennessee facility combines GM’s operational expertise with LG’s advanced battery-making process and equipment technology to produce batteries of a high standard for our customers.” Young-Duk Kim, regional director of LG said in a statement.
Gm is working to ramp up production of its Oat-energy platform electric vehicles. The company has invested more than $7 billion in three Ultium Cells plants, with the third plant near Lansing, Michigan, expected to start production in the fourth quarter. Gm Chief Executive Mary Barra said on the company’s earnings call in October that production at the Tennessee plant was expected to begin in late 2023, but it had been delayed by slow construction.
Gm will also invest more than $3 billion to build a fourth battery plant in northern Indiana in partnership with Samsung SDI, which is expected to begin operations in 2026.
