Ultium Cells LLC is the name of the General Motors and LG Chem joint venture for cell manufacturing. Construction has started with ground prep activities for the future site of the Ultium battery cell manufacturing facility in Lordstown.
Last December, General Motors and LG Chem announced plans to mass-produce battery cells for future battery-electric vehicles. Together, the companies will invest up to a total of $2.3 billion through a new, equally owned joint venture company.
The state-of-the art plant will use the most advanced manufacturing processes all under one roof to produce cells efficiently, with little waste, and will benefit from strong economies of scale throughout the value chain. The plant will be extremely flexible and able to adapt to ongoing advances in technology and materials.
The collaboration also includes a joint development agreement that brings together two leaders in battery science to develop and produce advanced battery technologies, with the goal of reducing battery costs to industry-leading levels.
During the pandemic, product development work on GM’s future EV and AV portfolios continues to progress at a rapid pace. The Cruise Origin was revealed in San Francisco earlier this year, and production timing remains on track for the yet-to-be-revealed Cadillac Lyriq and GMC HUMMER EV, all powered by the Ultium battery system.
Earlier this year, General Motors and Honda have agreed to jointly develop two all-new electric vehicles for Honda, based on GM’s highly flexible global EV platform powered by proprietary Ultium batteries.
