The skeletal structure of the new, 2.8 million square foot Ultium Cells battery plant in Lordstown, Ohio is now complete, the automaker confirmed this week.
Ironworkers hoisted and installed the final beam last Friday as part of a traditional “topping out” ceremony, with leadership and other trade partner employees working on the site taking the opportunity to sign the beam and participate in a celebratory photograph.
“We are pleased construction at Ultium continues to progress safely and on schedule,” said Ultium Cells LLC president Kee Eun. “While we faced unprecedented challenges from the very beginning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been able to execute successfully according to plan thanks to the collaborative efforts between General Motors and LG Chem, as well as the support and commitment from our contract partners and the local community.”
The Ultium Cells plant is the result of a new joint venture between GM and Korean battery manufacturer LG Chem. The plant will mass-produce Ultium battery cells for electric vehicles and is expected to create more than 1,100 new jobs. Some future GM vehicles that will utilize GM’s new Ultium battery cell technology include the Cruise Origin robotaxi, GMC Hummer EV pickup and SUV and Cadillac Lyriq crossover.
GM says Ultium Cells will onboard about 30 initial employees in March before the company starts hiring en masse closer to the site’s official opening next year. Once it is running at full capacity, the lithium-ion battery cell plant will have an annual capacity of around 30 gigawatt-hours, with room for more production to be added further down the line. It projected to cost around $2.3 billion to complete.
“This is a significant milestone for the Ultium Cells team and our construction trade partners as we continue to build our physical foundation through the construction of our site, and our cultural foundation as we stand up our workforce,” added Tom Gallagher, operations director for Ultium Cells LLC. “Ultium Cells is on track to achieve our vision of an inclusive and engaged workforce as we add 30 more launch team members in March. It is exciting to see the team coming together to support the launch of this important business.”
The first vehicle to enter production utilizing Ultium battery cells will be the GMC Hummer EV, which will commence deliveries later this year.
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Comments
Great, wishing all success with godspeed.
Always great to get new jobs to the area.
But this replaces 4500 good paying jobs lost when gM closed the lordstown plant with maybe 1100 low paying jobs.
Net loss for Ohio and America.
Thanks for nothing Mary Barra and politicians.that take credit.
What do you know about the pay scale at the new plant?
You can bet hourly employees at Ultium won’t have benefits nearly as good as their UAW counterparts. This is true for every GM supplier. The original point he made was certainly valid.
GM threw a Lordstown a (EV flavored) virtue signal bone after decimating the local workflow. GM should make good on what it took away – a full manufacturing facility in Lordstown for EV vehicles.
To get good paying jobs, you need a good fighting union.
Unity is strength: united we stand, divided we fall.
Or an economy strong enough that companies have to fork over the cash to keep employees from finding jobs elsewhere, but we just had that option stollen from us last November.
and falling you are
The Youngstown area is a heavy hard fighting Union area. For years people working at GM and the Steel Mills made more money than most for what they they were doing.
Strikes were not cordial.
As time went on the MFGs began to find better and cheaper places to make products and they one by one left the area. GM was the last holdout.
As time went on the Lordstown plant Union became much better to deal with but time was running our on the plant. It is an old and over large plant that is not easy to make economical to run. It has been down sized several times but everyone knew time was running out. GM has smaller and much more efficient plants and they also have under capacity at these plants.
The way to get a good paying job is to attain an education or a good solid skill or trade like welding or electrical work. My father inlay made six figures welding and the company he has has never found a solid replacement for him yet. Top welders can name their price anymore. Even non union.
Youngstown has struggled to bring in jobs as the union thinking there has made companies locate farther south in Ohio or in the SE United States.
To be honest they are damn lucky to have these jobs and with the Low cost of living in the area they will do fine. This is not Silicone Valley.
In fact just east of this plant East Welding is offering full training for welding jobs. They will teach you and give you a job that if you learn it well you can take those skills many places and up the pay even more.
How many billions to make a building like this and how overpaid for union builders… not that they are smarter, faster, better… I work with some union people and all they are is slow and punctual to breaks ,lunch, restroom…
Since this building opens in 2022 how is the hummer out in the fall…