On the Dash:
- Ultium Cells plans to become the first manufacturer to commercially produce LMR prismatic battery cells, with production expected to begin after facility upgrades are completed in 2028.
- LMR technology is designed to deliver 33% greater energy density than LFP chemistry at a comparable cost.
- The Spring Hill expansion is expected to create 500 jobs, adding to the plant’s current workforce of 1,200 employees.
Ultium Cells, a joint venture between General Motors and LG Energy Solution, plans to upgrade its Spring Hill, Tennessee, battery plant to produce lithium manganese-rich (LMR) prismatic cells for future GM electric vehicles. According to GM’s statement, the upgrade is expected to make Ultium Cells the first manufacturer worldwide to commercially produce the next-generation technology.
Construction and upgrades will begin later this year and finish in 2028. According to the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, Ultium Cells will invest $1 billion to retool the existing facility. The project will also add 500 jobs to a workforce of about 1,200.
On the technology side, GM designed the LMR prismatic cells to deliver 33% greater energy density than lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry, today’s leading low-cost battery technology, at a comparable cost.
Additionally, Ultium Cells will produce battery cells in multiple chemistries and form factors, which GM says will help tailor battery technology to different vehicles and applications. Meanwhile, Spring Hill has produced LFP cells for energy storage systems since June, serving customers of LG Energy Solution Vertech.
