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General Motors Looking To Build Second Battery Plant In The U.S.

General Motors is looking to build a second battery manufacturing plant in the United States with its existing joint venture partner LG Chem.

GM and Korean battery manufacturer LG Chem pooled their resources together to build a new lithium-ion battery manufacturing plant in Lordstown, Ohio that will be operated under a newly created joint venture called Ultium Cells LLC. The plant, which is currently under construction, will have an annual capacity of more than 30-gigawatt hours once it’s up and running at full capacity next year.

GM Ultium battery pack

According to The Wall Street Journal, GM and LG Chem are already looking beyond the Ohio-based facility. A GM spokesperson told the publication that it’s looking at the idea of constructing a second battery plant with LG Chem somewhere in the United States, with a final decision expected sometime in the first half of this year. One source familiar with GM and LG Chem’s plans said the plant could be built somewhere in Tennessee.

GM said previously that having its own battery-making capacity will help it drive cell costs down below $100 per kilowatt-hour, which will increase its profitability on EVs and allow it to offer EV models at a more approachable price. Additionally, GM’s proprietary Ultium battery cells are expected to have some of the highest nickel and lowest cobalt content in a large format pouch cell, making them more affordable and less prone to raw material supply constraints.

The Ultium Cells LLC plant in Lordstown, Ohio will supply Ultium battery cells for use in a variety of future GM EVs, including the Cadillac Lyriq and GMC Hummer EV, among more. The plant is the result of a $2.3 billion investment from GM and LG Chem and is expected to create around 1,100 new jobs in the Northeast Ohio region.

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Sam loves to write and has a passion for auto racing, karting and performance driving of all types.

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Comments

  1. why not just build one big old one and call it a day for a minute and save a buck at the same time

    Reply
    1. There are practical limits to how large a manufacturing facility can be. Batteries are also very heavy when it comes to shipping. They have pretty much confirmed GM will also assembling EVs in Mexico. I won’t be surprised if they announce another battery factory in Mexico.

      Reply
      1. why do they have to make evs in mexico?

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        1. Why not? They’re likely to offer EVs for sale in Mexico and Latin America.

          Reply
        2. Because liberals and unions have made it too expensive to manufacture in America.

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          1. You’re right… I like how you think, infact come work at one of my stores, but at a less overhead rate for me of $1.15 per hour.
            Lets show those pesky unions and liberals what we are all about!
            Can you start tommorow?

            Reply
            1. Check your personnel records, Melania is already on payroll as a Greeter in Bumbf**k USA.

              Reply
        3. Because the labor rate is less. The $15 minimum wage will make it even harder to manufacture in the USA.

          GM already announced EV production in Mexico

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        4. »why do they have to make evs in mexico?«

          Simple answer: to sell them. For a profit.

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      2. engines and transmissions are not light and they do not have a problem taking them across the border and ram has no problem building them in mexico and carting them to deetroit

        Reply
        1. A GM V8 weighs about 400 lbs. Transmission is about 200 lbs. The battery in the Cadillac Lyriq is going to weigh over 1000 lbs. The Hummer battery will be over 2000 lbs. EVs are already at a cost disadvantage and shipping costs for that kind of weight would not help.

          Reply
          1. I think a 8 is closer to 5 than 4 and 6sp was around 275 on a palet I dont know if a 10 was put on a diet anyway,so add about 1400 to a 5500 truck so you will need 10k tags on a 1/2 ton p/u if you put anything in the box or tow heavy trailers? so an ev is a road wear terrorist? more road rebuilding leads to more pollution from concrete production so aoc and bernie are going to want to go back to dirt roads to save the world?

            Reply
            1. Notice the Hummer EV has 8 lug wheels…

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              1. wow so consider it in the 3/4 ton class even heavier than my first guestimate

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    2. if anything were to ever happen to that one facility, there goes your business supply.

      Reply
  2. The way it is done today is to build facilities near by where the product will go to supply the needs. In this case Springhill will be building the Cadillac SUV EV here.

    The trick today is to right size plants as overly large plants are much more expensive to operate and need much higher volumes of vehicles to make them viable. This is what really killed Lordstown as it was one of the largest outdated plants in America. They even down sized it but it was still very expensive to operate. This is why most older plants haver been closed or torn down like Janesville and the Pontiac Plants in Pontiac MI.

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  3. Hopefully it will go to a non-union Red state and not an overpaid, overregulated blue state.

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    1. All of GM’s facilities are unionized. This will most likely be built in Tennessee close to the Spring Hill assembly plant where the Cadilliac Lyriq and an Acura EV will be built.

      Reply
      1. God fearing states should be given new factories, not Godless states.

        Reply
        1. Your god doesn’t exist 😊

          Reply
          1. your god has no issue w/ partial birth abortion the big guys does it lets him in the door but is persona non grata for most important part to save your soul the blood and body of christ

            Reply
            1. Liberals HATE God but LOVE science.

              Reply
              1. Since Someone(Melania) brought Political Affiliation Into the Convo; The DAMN conservatives(Republicans) are Joined at The HIP to the MOST GODLESS (P)resident EVER👿!!!!

                Reply
              2. Science is what advances human society.

                No automobile without science.

                Reply
      2. If I was uaw I would want to be in spring hill or arlington no income tax states as long as your not p.w. and let your old lady spend more than you make because the sales tax is high.

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        1. I work in the auto industry (engineering) and the one thing that scares away manufacturing in America is unionization.

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          1. The answer to this, Mr. midnight, is a big drive to unionize the South. Leave no escape for the union haters and low wages and too long hours and no safety at the workplace.

            Reply
      3. parts workers are not nearly as well paid as assemblers

        Reply
  4. MOST IMPORT AUTO PLANTS IN NORTH AMERICA ARE NON-UNION

    AS ARE MOST PLANTS OUTSIDE NORTH AMERICA

    THAT IS WHAT ALL AUTO COMPANIES HAVE TO DEAL WITH

    Reply
    1. The solution: UNIONIZE THE SOUTH!

      Lets wage a great campaign to win union wages for the workers in the ex-slaveholder states!

      PS: All automobile factories in all countries I know of are unionized. In Brasil and Argentina, South Africa, Europe, India, Japan and South Korea.

      Do you know automobile factories outside of the USA which are not unionized? Plesse let us know.

      Well, dont mention China, that is a special case by itself.

      Of course, not all unions are real well led fighting unions, but at least better tgs being exposed to the arbitrariness if the bosses without any form of organized resistance.

      _——-
      typo corrected

      Reply
    2. BTW, @AR, what is an „import plant“, and this in North America?

      Do you mean installations thru which goods are imported, like air ports, sea ports and dry ports at land borders?

      Plz advise.

      Reply

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