GM, LG building second $2.3B battery plant in US

Ultium Cells LLC, a joint venture between General Motors (GM) and Korea’s LG Energy Solution that is already building a $2.3 billion battery plant in Lordstown, Ohio, announced plans to build a second battery plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee, alongside GM’s manufacturing plant.

GM’s Spring Hill plant was already set to produce the upcoming Cadillac Lyriq electric vehicle (EV), and the new battery plant will simplify the supply chain for the luxury car.

Ultium Cells will build the new plant on land leased from GM. The new battery cell plant will create 1,300 new jobs. Construction on the approximately 2.8 million ft2 facility will begin immediately, and is scheduled to open in late 2023.

“The addition of our second all-new Ultium battery cell plant in the U.S. with our joint venture partner LG Energy Solution is another major step in our transition to an all-electric future,” GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra says.

LG Energy Solution President and CEO Jong Hyun Kim adds, “This partnership with General Motors will transform Tennessee into another key location for electric vehicle and battery production. It will allow us to build solid and stable U.S.-based supply chains that enable everything from research, product development, and production to the procurement of raw components.”

Ultium batteries use large-format, pouch-style cells that can be stacked vertically or horizontally inside the battery pack. Engineers can optimize battery energy storage and layout for each vehicle design. Energy options range from 50kWh to 200kWh, which could enable a GM-estimated range up to 450 miles. https://www.gm.com; https://www.lgensol.com

SK Innovation, a Korean company that recently lost an intellectual property trade case, will pay competitor LG Energy Solution $1.8 billion, allowing SK to complete its $2.6 billion battery plant in Georgia that’s set to supply Ford’s F-150 electric vehicle (EV) pickup and several Volkswagen models.

“LG Energy Solution and SK Innovation have decided to settle to compete in an amicable way, all for the future of the U.S. and South Korean EV battery industries,” say Jong Hyun Kim, president and CEO of LG Energy Solution, and Jun Kim, president and CEO of SK Innovation. “We are dedicated to work together to support the Biden Administration’s climate agenda and to develop a robust U.S. supply chain.”

LG Energy Solution is in the process of investing $4.5 billion in U.S. battery production and is partnering with General Motors (GM) on two Ultium Cells LLC battery plants to supply the automaker. http://eng.skinnovation.com; https://www.lgensol.com