- GM is ready to ditch the Ultium model identify amid a broad shift in battery technique, an government informed Bloomberg.
- GM will proceed utilizing underlying batteries and know-how platforms, but in addition incorporate LFP and nickel-rich prismatic cells.
- A brand new Battery Cell Improvement Middle goals to speed up R&D.
When Common Motors launched the Ultium electrical automobile platform and battery system 4 years in the past, it stated that this plan—one widespread structure and household of modular batteries for all future fashions—would underpin hundreds of thousands of EVs for years to return. It could additionally, in idea, imply GM may make sufficient batteries at scale for EVs to develop into extremely worthwhile.
However truly scaling up has been a nightmare. Now, GM desires to kill the Ultium model identify, whereas maintaining the underlying tech, and alter its method in direction of batteries.
That element comes from an interview with former Tesla government and GM’s present battery chief Kurt Kelty in Bloomberg. And moreover abandoning a reputation that hasn’t actually caught on, Kelty stated these strikes imply large modifications for GM’s battery sport.
At present, GM’s major battery associate is LG Power Resolution. Now, Kelty stated the automaker plans to include completely different battery chemistries and ranging cell shapes to tailor them to explicit fashions. GM’s present Ultium packs energy a dozen fashions, from the $35,000 Chevy Equinox EV to the $100,000 GMC Hummer EV, simply in numerous sizes.
That is more likely to change for future fashions.
In line with Kelty, there is a “vital” change coming to GM’s battery plans that will probably be revealed on the Investor Day Presentation later in the present day. Meaning ditching the one-type-fits-all philosophy and tailoring battery packs to particular person fashions, one thing Tesla and BYD have been doing for years. That will embody utilizing the present pouch cells for some fashions, however presumably utilizing the easier-to-assemble prismatic cells for others.
GM EVs at present are outfitted with nickel-cobalt-manganese-aluminum cells made by the three way partnership with LGES. Now it plans to diversify. The automaker is in talks with Japan’s TDK Corp to supply lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries within the U.S. utilizing tech licensed from CATL.
The next-gen Chey Bolt EV will journey on the Ultium platform, however it would use LFP batteries, as has been introduced beforehand. (Though initially, it might not use U.S.-made packs.)
Ultium Cells LLC Battery Plant in Warren, Ohio
LFP batteries are cheaper to supply than nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) cells, boast higher thermal efficiency and last more. However they’re much less vitality dense and therefore extra appropriate for entry degree fashions, just like the rear-wheel drive Tesla Mannequin 3 and the Customary Vary Ford Mustang Mach-E.
To speed up these plans, GM will conduct battery R&D on the Wallace Battery Cell Innovation Middle at GM’s campus in Warren, Michigan and on the new Battery Cell Improvement Middle that will probably be formally introduced on Tuesday. The latter is predicted to be up and working by 2027 and collectively the 2 services will have the ability to develop new packs and get them prepared for manufacturing in 18 months.
GM can also be constructing a brand new $3.5 billion battery plant in Indiana in partnership with Samsung SDI to develop nickel-rich prismatic cells.
Kelty stated all of that is meant to “considerably” scale back battery weight, drive down prices and make manufacturing much less complicated. GM final 12 months stated was abandoning its aim of promoting 400,000 EVs by mid-2024. Its EV gross sales have been nowhere near that, however they’re bettering steadily. And this revised battery technique would possibly assist it unlock a brand new part of mass manufacturing whereas probably bettering the vary and charging speeds of its EVs.
For all these challenges, together with software program points and shifting gross sales goalposts a number of occasions, GM is doing comparatively properly in electrical gross sales. It simply posted yet one more consecutive quarter of EV deliveries and will shut the 12 months as America’s no. 2 electrical automaker behind Tesla.
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