GM considering second EV battery plant in the U.S.

2022 GMC Hummer EV sport utility truck “Version 1”

GM

Common Motors is hunting at developing a second plant in the U.S. to produce battery cells for electric powered vehicles by way of a joint undertaking with LG Chem.

The automaker confirmed the ideas Thursday morning just after The Wall Avenue Journal documented the businesses had been shut to a conclusion to locate the plant in Tennessee, but a closing selection hadn’t been built. GM stated it hopes “to have a choice on the potential project” by June.

By way of their Ultium Cells LLC joint undertaking, GM and LG are presently paying $2.3 billion for a new battery cell plant in Ohio. The facility is expected to be accomplished in 2022, making it possible for the automaker to lessen costs and convey vehicles to sector much more speedily. The plant is deemed a linchpin of GM’s programs for its future-era EVs to be worthwhile.

GM is expected to release 20 new or redesigned EVs as part of its $27 billion investment prepare from 2020 through 2025.

Ultium is GM’s upcoming-technology batteries and system, which is predicted to debut later this calendar year in the GMC Hummer EV pickup. The very first motor vehicles are not anticipated to involve Ultium battery cells from the plant that is at present under development.

Outgoing GM Chief Sustainability Officer Dane Parker past calendar year stated the automaker would will need to make more financial commitment in battery production potential. He stated the enhance would probable be a blend of new facilities and retrofitting present crops.

“We are in a position to, in several scenarios, retrofit present propulsion vegetation to do that,” he claimed all through a Goldman Sachs meeting in December. “In some instances, we are going to be creating new types.”

Amid an ongoing semiconductor chip lack that’s impacting car production globally, there has been rising desire in restructuring motor vehicle provide chains, particularly for higher-tech elements, which includes battery cells. The White Home previous 7 days purchased a review of the U.S. battery supply chain.

“We need to bring battery production to the U.S.,” Ford CEO Jim Farley said very last month for the duration of a Wolfe Research convention. “We can’t go through what we’re doing with chips right now in Taiwan. It is really just critical.”

Ford has not declared any plans for investing in U.S. battery output. Most batteries at present are manufactured in Asia and Europe. Tesla at this time operates a huge battery and mobile manufacturing facility with panasonic in Nevada. Tesla also explained to investors in September that it started off manufacturing its personal cells at a pilot plant in Fremont, California.