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GM's new EV battery tech will cut costs without sacrificing performance or range (electrek.co)
submitted 3 days ago by to c/electricvehicles@slrpnk.net
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GM said it will be the world’s first to mass-produce prismatic LMR battery cells. The new battery tech can deliver 33% higher energy density than LFP at a comparable cost.

GM upgrades Tennessee plant for LMR battery cells

Ultium Cells, GM’s joint venture with LG Energy Solution, announced on Tuesday that it will produce the new lithium manganese rich cells at its Spring Hill, Tennessee battery manufacturing facility.

GM and LG revealed the new battery tech over a year ago, but this is the first time it has publicly announced where production will take place.

The Spring Hill plant is expected to be “the first in the world to mass produce prismatic LMR battery cells,” the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

According to Ultium Cells, LMR batteries hold the potential to deliver 33% higher energy density than lithium iron phosphate (LFP), the current leading affordable battery tech, and at a comparable cost.

GM will use the new batteries in upcoming electric trucks and full-size SUVs, aiming to offer over 400 miles of range.

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[–] 5 points 3 days ago

The LMR chemistry is supposed to be more thermally stable than NMC (which was previously the standard chemistry before LFP came along). I can't find reliable descriptions of how it compares to LFP, though.

Either way, energy density itself doesn't seem like it would have a direct correlation to safety issues. The failure modes of cells catching fire don't necessarily rely on density to drive the chain reaction, just the ongoing availability of stored chemical energy that might be released as heat or trigger some sort of fire.

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