The future of the electric vehicle market in the U.S. is anyone’s guess, but automakers haven’t given up on developing new technologies and powertrain systems for EVs. General Motors recently announced a new battery solution from its joint venture with LG Energy Solution that promises lower costs with no tradeoff on range.
The batteries are called lithium manganese-rich, or LMR. GM said they’re expected to reach the market by 2028 in the automaker’s electric trucks and large SUVs, and it will be the first commercial use of a new prismatic EV battery cell design from the pair. The new cells are cheaper due to manganese’s lower costs and the efficiencies gained from producing prismatic cells instead of the pouch-style cells seen in other batteries.
Kurt Kelty, GM’s VP of battery, propulsion, and sustainability, said, “It unlocks the premium range and performance at an affordable cost. We believe we can deliver more than 400 miles of range in a single charge in a truck, while significantly reducing our battery costs.”
The LMR cells are roughly equal in cost to lithium iron phosphate batteries, but they offer a higher energy density, requiring a smaller, lighter battery to deliver the same range estimates. The new battery design also requires far fewer parts, simplifying production and lowering costs across the board.
[Images: General Motors]
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