Cheaper, longer-range battery planned for future GM electric vehicles

An employee holds a full-size prototype LMR battery cell at the General Motors Wallace Battery Cell Innovation Center in Warren, Michigan.

General Motors and LG Energy Solution will work together to produce a new type of battery cell for future GM electric pickup trucks and large sport utility vehicles, the companies announced Tuesday.

The new battery technology is called lithium manganese-rich (LMR) prismatic. It builds on an existing partnership between GM and LG Energy Solution to develop battery cell technology.

GM aims to be the first automaker to use LMR batteries in its electric vehicles. Ultium Cells, a joint venture between GM and LG Energy Solution, plans to begin commercial production of the LMR prismatic cells in the United States by 2028. Pre-production is expected to start at an LG Energy Solution facility by late 2027.

Ultium Cells currently operates facilities in Lordstown, Ohio, and Spring Hill, Tennessee.

GM said that LMR battery technology will fit into its existing battery supply chain and manufacturing processes. The company has been investing in domestic battery production and the sourcing of materials like lithium, graphite, and manganese from North America.

The final design of the LMR battery cells will be tested at GM’s Battery Cell Development Center in Warren, Michigan, expected to open earlier that year, and at an LG Energy Solution facility.

Current electric vehicle batteries use materials such as cobalt, nickel, and manganese. Cobalt is often the most expensive. LMR batteries use more manganese, which is less expensive, and can store more energy in a smaller space.

Engineers at GM and LG Energy Solution said the new LMR prismatic battery cell can store about one-third more energy compared to some other types of batteries at a similar cost.

GM currently uses high-nickel batteries in its electric trucks, which provide what the company says is a long driving range. By using LMR battery technology and the space-saving design of prismatic cells, GM hopes to offer electric trucks with a driving range of more than 400 miles. The company also anticipates saving money on the cost of the battery packs compared to current high-nickel packs.

Kurt Kelty, a vice president at GM, said the company is working on manganese-rich battery technology to provide good driving range and performance at a lower cost, especially for electric trucks. He said LMR batteries will work with other battery technologies GM uses to give customers more choices in the truck and large SUV markets.

Wonjoon Suh, an executive vice president at LG Energy Solution, said the new LMR prismatic cells are the result of years of research. He said GM’s future trucks using this technology show the companies' shared goal of offering different electric vehicle options.

GM began researching manganese-rich lithium-ion batteries in 2015 and has been testing LMR cells at its facility in Warren. The company said it has worked with partners to improve the materials, design, and manufacturing of LMR batteries.