GM plans LFP cells with Samsung SDI and LGES
According to The Korea Economic Daily, General Motors wants to replace NCM cells with more cost-effective LFP cells in several of its mid-range models. The American carmaker has requested that its South Korean partners, LGES and Samsung SDI, ramp up facilities in the USA for low-cost LFP batteries.
GM is said to be planning to replace NMC cells with more cost-effective LFP cells in several of its mid-range models, such as the Chevrolet Bolt, Equinox, Blazer and Silverado EV. The attempt aims to reduce the cost of electric cars, whose market ramp-up is slower than expected. While the more luxurious end of GM’s line up is still to receive NMC batteries, the company is also apparently planning to introduce electric vehicle models under $30,000 with LFP cells to overcome what industry insiders call the “EV adoption chasm”.
The Korean newspaper cited industry estimates that say switching from NCM to LFP could cut battery costs by 20–30 per cent, lowering the cost of each electric car by at least $6,000.
Samsung SDI will convert part of its joint venture with GM in Indiana, originally intended for the production of nickel-rich NCM batteries, to accommodate LFP production lines.
LG Energy Solution will similarly retrofit parts of GM’s Ultium Cells joint venture plants in Tennessee and Ohio to enable the production of LFP cells, scheduled for completion in 2024 and 2022, respectively. While these plants currently only produce pouch cells with NMC chemistry, LGES and GM are considering switching to prismatic cells, which are structurally more suitable for LFP chemistry, according to The Korea Economic Daily.
In the longer term, LG and GM are also focusing on the development of lithium-manganese-rich (LMR) batteries. This new format is said to retain the cost advantages of LFP while promising superior performance. The market launch of LMR is planned for 2028.
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