Ultium Cells, the joint venture between General Motors and LG Energy Solution, announced plans to retool its Spring Hill, Tenn. facility to manufacture prismatic lithium manganese-rich (LMR) battery cells for future GM electric vehicles. The companies anticipate construction and upgrades will begin this year, with completion scheduled for 2028. The project also intends to create 500 jobs.
Ultium Cells expects the investment to make the Spring Hill site the first global manufacturer to mass produce prismatic LMR battery cells. According to the joint venture, the technology offers 33% higher energy density than lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry at a comparable price.
The combined investment for the LMR program and the production of LFP cells for energy storage systems at Spring Hill, which began in June 2026, looks to reach $1 billion by 2030.
General Motors said high-nickel batteries will continue to provide the longest range in its portfolio. However, adding LMR will enable Ultium Cells to tailor battery technology to various vehicle needs and applications.
GM and LG Energy Solution announced Ultium Cells in 2019. The joint venture’s other facility, located in Warren, Ohio, began production in August 2022 and makes large-format, pouch-style battery cells using advanced nickel cobalt manganese aluminum (NCMA) chemistry.
The Spring Hill facility started production in February 2024. The site produces battery cells with multiple chemistries, including LFP, for GM’s Ultium Platform EVs, which are manufactured at the adjacent assembly plant.
