GM's Ultium Odyssey: Powering Tomorrow's Electric

Revolution
To meet the ever-growing demand for electric vehicles globally, GM is working hard
to accomplish its claim of introducing 30 new global Electric Vehicles.
In mid-2021, GM announced that it would be bolstering up investments in the EV
and Autonomous Vehicle segment by up to $35 billion by the year 2025.
One of the most notable developments in this area was GM’s partnership with LG
Energy Solutions to increase the supply of batteries for these vehicles. The
agreement was part of an effort to keep the US as the hub of EV manufacturing.

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The two companies agreed that GM would be responsible for building the packs
whereas LG would be responsible for battery cell production.

Expansion of Ultium Cell Manufacturing Across the US

As a part of the agreement, three battery cell plants in the US states of Ohio,
Michigan, and Tennessee were to be constructed.
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The first Ultium cell manufacturing plant was constructed in Ohio and the battery
cells production in this plant started in August 2022. It is a large facility that hired
around 3800 employees.

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The second plant located in Tennessee was announced in April 2021 and is likely to
begin operations in January 2024, creating around 1700 jobs.
The Ultium Cells EV Battery Plant in Michigan will cost approximately $2.7 billion
and employ 1700 people. This plant was conceived as a result of the state of
Michigan's incentive to attract electric vehicle manufacturers.
Innovative Features of Ultium Batteries
The partnership between GM and LG is momentous because the Ultium batteries
offer a wide array of benefits. Some of these include:
• GM engineers have the flexibility to arrange the pouch-style large cells in
Ultium batteries either vertically or horizontally. This capability enables them
to optimize the layout of cells and the storage of battery energy according to
the design of each vehicle.
• The battery storage capacity ranges from 50 to 200 kWh which can result in
a range of around 450 miles and an impressive acceleration from 0 to 60 mph
in just 3 seconds.

Strategic Shift: GM's Selection Of Samsung As Partner For

Fourth Battery Cell Plant
Earlier last year, a significant setback occurred for the partnership when news
circulated that the two companies had decided to shelve plans related to the
construction of the fourth battery plant.

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In April 2023, GM announced that it had selected the South Korean giant Samsung
as its partner for the construction of the company’s fourth battery cell plant in the
US. The plant will be constructed in Indiana and will cost around $3 billion.

What Are The Future Prospects Of GM’s Ultium Battery

Platform?
The decision to shelve plans for the fourth battery cell manufacturing plant should
not be interpreted as a failure in the partnership between the two companies.
The three originally planned battery cell manufacturing plants are still progressing,
and the one in Lansing is most likely to commence operations by the end of 2024.

Final Verdict
The main benefit of the Ultium platform is that GM’s North American EV assembly
capacity is likely to reach the 1-million-unit mark by mid-decade, which will play a
big role in a greener future.
That’s because resultantly, we will have a higher number of battery-powered
environment-friendly cars on the roads.

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Explore GM's Ultium Battery Revolution shaping the future of Electric Vehicles.
Learn about strategic partnerships, innovative features, and the ambitious plan to
introduce 30 new global EVs. #GMUltium #ElectricVehicles
References
1. https://electrek.co/2023/01/20/gm-and-lg-halt-plans-for-a-fourth-ev-
battery-plant-in-the-us/
2. https://www.ultiumcell.com/our-locations/spring-hill-tn
3. https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/gm-sees-ev-cost-
cuts-it-looks-profit-green-vehicles-cfo-2023-11-30/
4. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/ultium-cells-ev-battery-
plant/#:~:text=This%20investment%20allows%20for%20a,center%20of%20
electric%20vehicle%20production
5. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/20/gm-lg-indefinitely-shelve-plans-for-
fourth-us-battery-cell-plant.html
6. https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/general-
motors/2023/04/25/gm-samsung-sdi-battery-cell-plant-us/70149008007/
7. https://gmauthority.com/blog/gm/gm-facilities/ultium-cells-battery-plants-
global/ultium-cells-usa-battery-plants/ultium-cells-lordstown-ohio-plant/