General Motors is expected to build its next Ultium battery plant in Lansing, Michigan, according to a report from The Detroit Free Press.
The automaker has allegedly filed an application with the city of Lansing to secure tax-exempt zoning for a project on an existing plot of GM-owned land. The application indicates the project would cost “up to or more than,” $2.5 billion and would create roughly 750 full-time jobs when completed at the end of 2025. The records also indicate the number of employees at the plant could swell to 1,700 people once it reaches full production capacity.
In addition, GM is rumored to be eyeing a $160 million Lake Orion Assembly plant in Michigan to construct a new battery module production line there, as a report published last week indicated. This latest Detroit Free Press report suggests the company may also be eyeing a separate investment in the Lake Orion plant, however, which would total in the low billions and convert the facility to produce new Ultium-based electric trucks or SUVs.
Detroit media reported last week that Michigan lawmakers were drafting new legislation that would sideline millions of dollars to help attract new manufacturing investment to the state, with GM the central target of the effort. State officials there are hoping to offset the effects of Ford’s recent decision to skip over the state and build its multi-billion dollar new electric vehicle and battery plants in Kentucky and Tennessee instead.
GM Ultium battery plant rendering
GM has not publicly commented on the rumored future investments, however company president Mark Reuss said previously that building at least one of its new battery plants in Michigan would be ideal, as this would save the company costs in shipping the modules to its various Michigan-based vehicle manufacturing plants.
GM is currently building its first two Ultium battery plants in Lordstown, Ohio and Spring Hill, Tennessee. Operated by Ultium Cells LLC, a joint venture between GM and its battery manufacturing partner LG Energy Solution, these plants will produce battery cells for the automaker’s future EVs, including the GMC Hummer EV, Cadillac Lyriq and Chevy Silverado E, among others.
In a statement sent to The Detroit Free Press this week, GM spokesman Dan Flores acknowledged the automaker was “developing business cases for potential future investments in Michigan,” but has nothing official to announce at this time.
“As part of developing a competitive business case, we are having discussions with the appropriate local officials on available incentives,” Flores said. “I’m not going to speculate on the timing of when GM leadership will make a decision on potential future investments in Michigan.”
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Comments
These battery plants are the key to the future profits… Putting it in Lansing might be a clue to the next assembly plant to go EV, Lansing Grand River, could make some nice EV cars once Camaro goes dark.
Popular Mech just published about Solid state Li batteries that should mature in 2025. Hopefully the Ultiums are amazing. The SS LI batteries are supposed to reach full charge in minutes, and be 10x energy dense as current LiPo batteries.
I’m sure the batteries will be in line with the ones they put in the Bolt. Hopefully is not a plan. The Ultium platform is LG. Anything but amazing.