Ultium Cells to Bring LMR Prismatic Battery Cell Production to Tennessee for Future GM EVs

Support CleanTechnica’s work through a Substack subscription, on Patreon, or on Stripe. Help us produce all of the high-quality, original content we publish week after week despite the challenges of content-scraping AI, antisocial media, inflation, and other hurdles.

Spring Hill, Tennessee is blazing a new trail in battery technology, as Ultium Cells LLC — a joint venture between General Motors and LG Energy Solution — just announced plans to produce lithium manganese rich (LMR) prismatic battery cells at its plant just outside Nashville. This is expected to make Ultium Cells the first manufacturer globally to commercially produce this next-generation technology, positioning GM at the forefront of bringing the technology to market in future electric vehicles.

LMR prismatic battery cells mark a major step forward for GM’s future EVs. The technology is designed to offer energy density 33% greater than lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry — today’s leading, low-cost battery technology — but at a comparable cost.

Establishing LMR prismatic cell production at Ultium Cells in Spring Hill is a key step in our strategy to match the right battery technology to customer needs and strengthen our leadership in domestic battery manufacturing and innovation. High-nickel batteries will continue to give customers the highest range in our portfolio, while adding LMR positions us to leapfrog today’s more affordable chemistries and deliver lower costs with better performance. This flexibility allows us to scale efficiently, reach more customers, and support our long-term EV strategy and profitability journey.

Adding LMR to the Ultium Cells portfolio also demonstrates the flexibility of its manufacturing capabilities. Ultium Cells will be able to produce battery cells in multiple chemistries and form factors, helping tailor battery technology to the needs of different vehicles and applications.

Beyond flexing manufacturing might, bringing this new battery cell to market first is a milestone moment for keeping America competitive globally in EV and battery technology leadership.

Construction and facility upgrades at Ultium Cells Spring Hill will begin later this year and are expected to be completed in 2028. This expansion is projected to create 500 new jobs, in addition to the facility’s total current workforce of 1,200 employees.