Ultium Cells, a joint venture of LG Energy Solution and General Motors, announced a US$2.6 billion investment to build its third battery cell manufacturing plant in the United States. The facility will be located in Lansing, Michigan.
Ultium Cells will build the new plant on land leased from GM. The new battery cell plant is expected to create 1,700 new jobs when the facility is fully operational. Site preparation on the approximately 2.8 million-square-foot facility will begin this summer, and the plant is scheduled to open in late 2024. The facility will supply battery cells to Orion Assembly in Michigan and other GM EV assembly plants. Ultium Cells expects the facility will have 50 gigawatt hours of battery cell capacity when running full production.
“This significant investment demonstrates our commitment to strengthen our Michigan and U.S. manufacturing presence and grow good-paying jobs,“ said Mary Barra, GM chair and CEO. “We will have the products, the battery cell capacity and the vehicle assembly capacity to be the EV leader by mid-decade.”
“With a shared vision, GM and LG Energy Solution pioneered the EV sector by seizing new opportunities in the market well before anyone else did,” said Young-Soo Kwon, CEO of LG Energy Solution. “Our third battery manufacturing plant, fittingly located in America’s automotive heartland, will serve as a gateway to charge thousands and later millions of EVs in the future.”
“We are extremely excited to have another home here in Lansing, Michigan,” said Kee Eun, Ultium Cells president. “This facility will lead us into a new era of manufacturing and sustainability as we push toward a zero-emissions future. Our job is to ensure flawless execution through close collaboration with our partners and the State of Michigan. We are very grateful for the Lansing community’s support.”
The Ultium Cells Lansing site joins Ultium Cells battery cell manufacturing sites being constructed in Ohio and Tennessee.
GM’s proprietary Ultium battery technology is at the heart of the company’s strategy to compete for nearly every EV customer in the marketplace, whether they are looking for affordable transportation, luxury vehicles, work trucks, commercial trucks or high-performance machines.