Ultium Cells, a joint venture of LG Energy Solution and General Motors, has announced a $ 2.6 billion investment to build its third battery cell manufacturing plant in the United States. The facility will be located in Lansing, Michigan.
According to General Motors, Ultium Cells will build the new plant on land leased from the company. 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.
The state-of-the-art Ultium Cells Lansing plant will use the most advanced and efficient battery cell manufacturing processes. As a result, the plant will be extremely flexible and able to adapt to ongoing advances in technology and materials.
Mary Barra, Chair and CEO, GM, said, 'We will have the products, the battery cell capacity and the vehicle assembly capacity to be the EV leader by mid-decade.'
Young-Soo Kwon, CEO, LG Energy Solution, said, '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.'
According to Kee Eun, President, Ultium Cells, the upcoming facility will lead the company into a new era of manufacturing and sustainability as it pushes 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,' Eun added.