General Motors and LG Energy jointly establish a large-scale electric vehicle battery plant

Introduction: UltiumCellsLLC is a joint venture between LG Energy Solutions and General Motors. It is planning to invest more than US$2.3 billion to build a second battery cell manufacturing plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee. The automaker’s future Ultium-powered electric vehicle is designed for level 2 charging and DC fast charging. Most will have a 400V battery pack and a fast charging capacity of up to 200 kilowatts. UltiumCells will build a new plant on land leased from General Motors. Construction of the 2.8 million square foot plant will begin immediately, and the plant is expected to open at the end of 2023. Once put into use, the plant will supply cells to the nearby General Motors assembly plant. In March of this year, LG Energy Solutions stated that it plans to invest more than US$4.5 billion in the next four years to expand its battery production in the United States by 70GWh. After the expansion, the company's total output in the United States will exceed 110GWh. GM's Ultium battery technology uses large-sized pouch batteries that can be stacked vertically or horizontally in the battery pack. This allows engineers to optimize battery energy storage and layout for each car design. Energy options range from 50 to 200 kWh, which can make GM's estimated cruising range after full power reach 450 miles or more. General Motors' future Ultium-powered electric vehicles are designed for level 2 charging and DC fast charging. Most will have 400V battery packs and up to 200 kilowatts of fast charging capacity; GM’s truck platform will have 800V battery packs and 350 kilowatts of fast charging capacity. In late January, General Motors stated that it plans to achieve carbon neutrality for its global products and operations by 2040. The company worked with the Environmental Protection Fund to formulate what GM calls the 'vision for an all-electric future' and 'the desire to eliminate new light vehicle exhaust emissions by 2035.' To achieve its goals, GM plans to transition to battery electric vehicles or other zero-emission vehicle technologies, using renewable energy. The automaker said at the time that it believed that the energy sector was “developing in the direction of decarbonizing the grid” and that the future of all-electricity would be supported by renewable infrastructure and technology.