GM’s Ultium battery gets the ultimatum

GM volition discontinue the Ultium artillery marque sanction arsenic it looks to grow the types of cells and chemistries it uses successful its electrical vehicles.

During an capitalist lawsuit today, Kurt Kelty, GM’s VP of batteries and a erstwhile Tesla executive, announced plans to follow lithium robust phosphate (LFP) artillery exertion successful bid to alteration the outgo of its EVs by “up to $6,000.” GM’s Ultium batteries usage the much communal nickel cobalt manganese (NCM) batteries.

Some automakers are utilizing LFP-based cells already, including Tesla and Ford. There’s little complexity successful LFP, it costs little to produce, and they aren’t babelike connected the excessive cobalt utilized successful NCM batteries. Cobalt has a atrocious rep arsenic the “blood diamond of batteries,” and galore automakers are trying to debar it successful the agelong term.

GM launched its Ultium batteries successful 2020 arsenic the level that would yet underpin the automaker’s slate of EVs, including the Chevy Equinox and Blazer EVs, Cadillac Lyriq, Hummer EV, and spouse vehicles similar Honda’s Prologue SUV. But “Ultium” ne'er rather became a household name, and present GM is moving distant from the brand, arsenic good arsenic its one-size-fits-all artillery strategy approach.

Ketly says GM volition unfastened a artillery compartment improvement halfway successful 2027 astatine its Tech Center successful Warren, Michigan to amended vie with Chinese artillery manufacturers, which predominate the planetary proviso chain. He said that GM is acceptable to “meet accumulation request into 2025,” and that artillery manufacturing problems faced astatine the extremity of 2023 “are down us.”

GM volition proceed to enactment with spouse LG connected batteries, arsenic good as Samsung SDI to physique a caller $3.5 cardinal EV artillery works successful Indiana.

GM reduced its artillery costs to $60 per kilowatt hr connected mean from 2023 to 2024, and is expecting different $30 simplification successful 2025 with LFP, Kelty said. The automaker could besides battalion LFP batteries into its ample EV chassis that typically houses Ultium NMC pouch-style batteries and inactive execute “over 350 miles” of range, helium noted.

GM is besides reducing the fig of modules successful its battalion by up to 75 percent by utilizing caller prismatic cells, portion higher-end cylindrical cells volition beryllium relegated to “performance” vehicles, Kelty said.

Historically, GM’s EVs are known for having larger, much dense batteries than its competitors. Now, it’s pursuing the footsteps of Ford, which insists that a 200-300 mile scope is more than adequate for astir owners.