General Motors and LG announce $2.3B Tennessee battery factory
Will provide cells for GM's upcoming electric models
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A joint venture between General Motors and LG Energy Solutions is investing $2.3 billion to build a second U.S. battery plant to provide cells for GM's upcoming electric vehicles, the companies announced Friday.
The Ultium Cells Spring Hill, Tenn. factory is being built on land owned by GM that is adjacent to its automobile assembly plant.
The Spring Hill, Tenn., facility will support electric vehicle output from GM's nearby automobile assembly plant, where the Cadillac Lyriq SUV is scheduled to enter production next year.
The battery factory will be operated under the Ultium Cells LLC banner and join another that is currently under construction in Lordstown, Ohio, where production is expected to begin later this year.
The pouch-type lithium-ion cells will be used in GM's Ultrium electric car platform, which can accomodate a wide array of vehicle types, from small sports cars to the upcoming electric Chevrolet Silverado.
The 2.8 million-square-foot Spring Hill facility is being built on land GM already owns and construction is set to begin immediately. It is scheduled to open in 2023 and create approximately 1,100 jobs.
"The support of the state of Tennessee was an important factor in making this investment in Spring Hill possible and this type of support will be critical moving forward as we continue to take steps to transition our manufacturing footprint to support EV production," GM CEO Mary Barra said of the project.
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GM has earmarked three U.S. factories for electric car production so far as it aims to put 30 zero-emissions models on sale globally by 2025 and go all-electric in major markets by 2035.