- GM is partnering with LG Energy Solution on three joint battery factories in the U.S.
- The carmaker is also planning a fourth battery factory in the U.S. but has partnered with Samsung SDI for it.
- The Spring Hill site is supplying battery cells to the Cadillac Lyriq.
The joint partnership between GM and LG Energy Solution has started manufacturing electric vehicle battery cells at the second of four joint plants set to open across the United States.
The new plant operated by Ultium Cells is located in Spring Hill, Tennessee, and shipped its first battery cells on March 21. It is the second of the four Ultium plants to commence production after the Ultium site in Warren, Ohio, started producing cells in November 2022.
Cells currently being produced at the Spring Hill facility are being shipped to the nearby manufacturing plant that handles the production of the Cadillac Lyriq. When fully operational, the site will have the ability to produce 50-gigawatt hours of EV batteries annually and as production increases, shipments to other GM plants will begin.
Read: All Ultium-Based GM EVs Will Be Able To Power Your Home By 2026
“This moment has been years in the making, and I’m grateful to the thousands of contractors, community partners and team members who have worked tirelessly to make this moment a reality,” the director of the Spring Hill site, Chris Desautels, told Auto News.
Beginning battery production at the site marks an important milestone for GM. The company has already invested more than $7 billion in three Ultium Cells battery plants and in the fourth quarter, manufacturing will begin at the third site near Lansing, Michigan. GM is also planning a fourth battery plant that will be operated through a joint venture with Samsung SDI. The carmaker is investing over $3 billion into this site and expects to open it in 2026.
GM believes that producing batteries in the United States, as well as its shared Ultium platform, will prove pivotal in making its electric vehicles profitable. The car manufacturer is one of the few to have prioritized the development and production of its EVs, their platforms, and their battery packs in North America.
