GM’s Detroit Battery Lab Getting $28 Million In Upgrades

General Motors is set to invest $28 million to improve its battery development and testing lab at its Tech Center in Detroit.

GM chief executive Mary Barra has confirmed that the car manufacturer will implement a number of improvements at the facility to “accelerate our next-generation battery architecture.”

The company has also confirmed that it will start souring battery packs this fall from an LG Electronics plant near Detroit and where the Chevrolet Bolt is manufactured. This will also provide GM with the freedom to expand Bolt production by 20 per cent during the fourth quarter.

A host of electric GM products are just around the corner.

The manufacturer’s Global Battery Systems Lab is of exceptional importance as it houses almost all of its battery testing and has gradually been expanded to cover more than 100,000 square feet. In 2013, GM spent $20 million expanding the facility and expanded it further in 2017 with an additional $6 million investments. Neither the Chevrolet Bolt or Chevrolet Bolt would exist if it wasn’t for the lab.

Moving forward, the facility will continue to play an important role for the introduction of GM’s next wave of electric vehicles. By 2023, GM will launch 20 all-new battery-electric and fuel-cell vehicles globally by 2023 and has already commenced this roll-out with the likes of the Buick Velite 6, Baojun E100 and upcoming Baojun E200 exclusively to the Chinese market.