As part of a broader move towards all-electric powertrains, GM launched the Ultium brand as a means of identifying its proprietary EV battery and EV motor technology. Now, however, it looks as though the brand will get the boot. It’s unclear at this time what may replace the brand going forward.
During the recent GM Investor Day presentation, GM Vice President, Battery Cell & Pack Kurt Kelty announced that the Ultium brand will sunset as it relates to GM’s battery and electric motor technology. That said, the brand name will still be used in conjunction with GM’s joint venture with South Korean battery manufacturer LG Energy Solutions, as well as the joint venture’s various Ultium Cells battery production facilities.
For now, GM has yet to clarify if it will launch a new brand as a replacement for Ultium as a means of identifying its EV technology, or if GM’s EV batteries and drive motors will continue on as unbranded tech.
Notably, GM is expected to expand its existing battery tech offerings to include not only pouch cells, but also lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, which are a type of lithium-ion battery that incorporates iron phosphate as the cathode material. GM will also expand its battery options to include prismatic cells, which are type of lithium-ion battery that takes a rectangular shape and can be stacked for improved space utilization.
It’s possible that GM’s decision to drop the Ultium brand name from its battery and electric motor technology is in part the result of a new partnership with South Korean electronics firm Samsung SDI. As GM Authority covered late last August, GM and Samsung have finalized an agreement to build a new EV battery production in Indiana. The partnership with Samsung follows a failure to finalize a fourth battery production plant with LG Energy Solution after LG was reportedly unable to commit to the deal. The new plant with Samsung in Indiana will be represent a $3.5 billion investment between the automaker and electronics company.
Comments
They should focus on more diesels moving forward.
Diesels are too obsolete. Besides, Rudolf Diesel designed his engine to run on peanut oil, not on petroleum derivatives.
They aren’t though
If battery technology is evolving and GM is working on the second generation of what used to be called Ultium, how can anyone confidently buy a new car — without knowing the life expectancy or batteries or their replacement cost or what happens if the vehicle is in an accident, etc.
Thats an existing current concern not a concern for newer battery tech. I am hoping degradation is addressed because that will be a major resale value killer if not addressd.
I know exactly what happens when an EV is in an accident greater than a simple fender-bender – the car probably gets totaled regardless of the damage to the battery pack. There is so much risk of fire due to a compromised battery that most insurance companies don’t want that potential in a repaired vehicle. The impact on insurance costs (and even the ability to insure some EVs) is exactly what you might imagine.
I was thinking the same thing. I waited for what they have to finally make it to market…so maybe its time to ditch GM and find another that has reliable plans. Just unbelievable.
To be fair, nobody is giving a trade name to their EV tech. Not even Tesla. So the name is just a marketing gimmick unique to GM only.
Second, from what I understand, they aren’t ditching the tech, just the name and also trying to expand their battery chemistries. Apparently part of the move will lower the prices of their EVs by $6K a car by switching them to LFP batteries.
My only issue with this is one of the big selling points of GMs EVs is their range. By switching to LFPs they are losing this advantage.
They will have 3 chemistries not just LFP. LFP looks to be used in their smallest cheapest vehicles while for larger vehicles and for range they will have High Nickel and Mid Nickel chemistries.
LFP is safer and almost fire proof. I prefer LFP cells in my EV since I don’t care much about range, and my electricity is free. I am using 24 kWh of LFP batteries in my home energy storage system, just three feet away from my bedroom door. That is how safe they are!
I read they are less prone to degradation. Which is my sore point with EV batteries.
Duramax
Turbomax
Powermax
Lol
Well, there goes another gm electric brand name just after Brightdrop. Maybe its because Ultium is a specific battery system and the company is expanding its battery technologies.
Brighdrop didn’t go away. That line is now under Chevrolet.
They should have just put that under GMC.
There was nothing special or proprietary about GM’s Ultium system though. It was just a brand name thrown onto technology that anyone else could have made.
GM better move away from pouch batteries in the second Gen and into Cylindrical ones.
Pouches may take up.more volume but are much safer due to the heat sinks between them. See how many Tesla cars have burned due to cylindrical cells.
Another incredible waste of money by GM. I expect they paid millions to create and promote the “Ultium” name which gained approximately zero traction with the public.
You have no proof of such “waste” claim. Besides, the Cadillac Lyriq and now the Chevy Equinox EV have great sales numbers due to the Ultium fame. You cannot do better than what GM did.
Eventually, EV sales will top-out way, way below and much, much earlier than ICE sales.
EV’s are / were hoped to overcome a lot of problems created by none other than us humans, but, in today’s world, they’re still a niche market for those who can afford them, have no need of traveling distances greater than a single charge permits, and aren’t in need of arriving at their destination(s) as quickly as an ICE is capable of.
There is no mistake about it, the day of the all-capable EV is coming and it will fully replace the ICE, but it’s not here now, and it won’t be in my lifetime.
well thats narrow minded.
Says you.
Pretty sure Telsa did
Did what?
It’s simply amazing, nay, mind-boggling, how GM constantly manages to f*$k itself in its *ss by reversing itself on so many of these previously “oh-so-well-thought-out” plans, strategies and decisions!
I wonder if Vegas bookmakers give odds on the next thing GM will screw itself with. Nah. Probably not. The odds would be too much in the bettors’ favor.
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Add to this the Chevy VOLT’s Voltec system. It is almost laughable how close GM was to actually meeting the needs most vehicle drivers with this extended-range EV drive system! GM dropped it after investing a billion$. Bring Bob Lutz back!!
Fully agreed!
Keep throwing things against the wall, Mary.
Something is bound to stick eventually .
I don’t think gm likes ohio…. probably because they wanna get away from the unions
GM is so screwed up thanks Mary. Got out of Europe, Asia, Australia.,… go all EV …. Change Caddy logo, change Buick logon…. She is nuts and should be fired… without a ‘golden’ parachute.
You forgot the lower case gm logo now.
Ironically appropriate given their 30% drop in global sales in just the last six years (8.9M to 6.2M). And btw, 2024 will be roughly 400,000 units lower still.
they have to be making good changes along some points joined with Samsung
battery div. shears up from low $14 Jan. to $47 ending Friday set their sites on Chinas market i.45 plus billion population sold OUT AMERICA for a peace of China pie giving little thought to their abilities to surpass U.S. Automotive technology pricing or the speed with building OWN auto plantsGMC ia alive and well in China with potential 3-4 hundred million customers under the GM
BRANDS in CHINA