Can This New Battery Design Save Electric Vehicles In The U.S.?
In a Nutshell
GM's Wallace Battery Cell Innovation Center in Michigan drives its EV push with $900M+ investments in LMR (lithium manganese-rich) batteries, enabling 400+ mile range in trucks like the Hummer EV at lower costs by favoring cheap manganese over cobalt/nickel. Amid Biden's 2021 snub favoring GM over Tesla and recent $7.1B losses from slumping sales, GM scales production at Factory Zero and gigafactories for 13 EV models, targeting full North American battery independence from mines to vehicles. LMR chemistry and advanced R&D position GM to compete in affordable, high-range EVs despite market challenges.
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In August 2021, President Joe Biden held an electric vehicle summit at the White House without inviting Elon Musk or anyone from Tesla. Biden credited GM with leading the electric vehicle revolution: "You electrified the entire automobile industry. I'm serious. You led and it matters." These moves led Musk to publicly embrace Donald Trump. Tesla reshaped the auto industry and turned electric cars into a reality. GM and other American automakers were EV laggards.
The Wallace Battery Cell Innovation Center is on GM's campus in Warren, Michigan, outside Detroit. Scientists and engineers there aim to show GM takes electric vehicles seriously.
"This is Godzilla."
Andy, a battery engineer at General Motors, delivers their message.
"My name is Andy. I'm a battery engineer at General Motors."
Andy had a soul-searching moment a few years ago due to his kids and wanting a better planet. He emailed GM's CEO about relating the mission statement more to the environment. The CEO forwarded it to communications. A year later, Andy learned about the zero-zero-zero vision: zero crashes, zero emissions, and zero congestion.
GM has quietly built an electrification powerhouse, investing close to $900 million in the Wallace Battery Cell Innovation Center and the adjacent Battery Cell Development Center for full-scale prototype cells at rate. The new Battery Cell Development Center (gray walls, under construction in 2023) will build 100x more cells per week than the current facility. GM has investments in gigafactories in Ohio and Tennessee, producing about 300,000 cells per day—far more than prototypes.
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