GM’s Battery Breakthrough Promises to Make Electric Trucks Cheaper
General Motors’ electric trucks and full-size SUVs rank among the longest-range EVs in the entire industry, but they also carry hefty price tags. Things will be somewhat different with the next generation, mind you.
Together with LG Energy Solution, GM wants to become the first automaker to commercialize lithium manganese-rich (LMR) prismatic battery cells in electric vehicles as part of a new breakthrough.
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This builds on a partnership between the two companies to develop prismatic battery cell technology and related chemistries. LG Energy Solution holds the largest LMR technology IP portfolio globally, having secured over 200 patents in this technology field.
Battery cathodes, as you may know, require materials like cobalt (the most expensive), nickel and manganese. However, LMR battery cells use a higher proportion of more affordable manganese while also delivering greater capacity and energy density.
Battery engineers at GM and LG Energy Solution have developed a new LMR prismatic battery cell that not only unlocks 33-percent higher energy density compared to the best-performing lithium iron phosphate (LFP) based cells, but also does it at a comparable cost.
GM aims to offer more than 650 km of range in an electric truck while achieving “significant” battery pack cost savings compared to today’s high-nickel packs in the Chevrolet Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV.
“We’re pioneering manganese-rich battery technology to unlock premium range and performance at an affordable cost, especially in electric trucks,” said Kurt Kelty, VP of battery, propulsion, and sustainability at GM.
Pre-production of LMR prismatic battery cells is expected to begin at an LG Energy Solution facility by late 2027. Ultium Cells, a GM and LG Energy Solution joint venture, plans to start commercial production a year later.
