- GM is discontinuing the Ultium branding
- The corporate plans to introduce new battery choices, together with a less expensive pack utilizing the LFP chemistry that is widespread in China.
- GM estimates the change will contribute to a price financial savings of round $6,000 per automobile.
The race is on for affordable EVs. Severely—virtually each automaker is hellbent on duking it out to get cheaper EVs on the highway, particularly to compete with cheaper Chinese language automobiles on America’s doorstep. It appears to be like like Basic Motors might have lastly discovered a method to minimize prices considerably on the most costly a part of an electrical automotive: the battery.
GM’s new Vice President of Batteries (a former Tesla exec), Kurt Kelty, laid out the technique for cheaper batteries at GM’s Investor Day. The takeaway? All new approaches to battery chemistry, packaging, and underlying methods to be able to slash as much as $6,000 in prices off of each single EV it produces.
The kick-off is saying goodbye to Ultium—each the Ultium branding and the present Nickel Cobalt Manganese (NCM) cells that it makes use of at this time. GM is as an alternative ushering in a brand new period of lower-cost Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery cells that it swears goes to be its secret sauce.
LFP is not essentially a brand new expertise, however it is considerably cheaper than what GM is doing at this time. The chemistry is extra secure, higher for the atmosphere by not using minerals like cobalt or nickel (each are supply-constrained and infrequently sourced unethically) and pretty cheap to provide.
Do not consider me? Nicely, there is a motive that the now-discontinued Tesla Mannequin 3 Normal Vary and Ford Mustang Mach-E Normal Vary used these cells. I am going to allow you to guess on that one.
Now, certain, there are some trade-offs. LFP batteries do not supply the identical power density as present NCM cells, resulting in decrease general vary figures. Additionally they do not essentially carry out as nicely within the chilly. However they’re adequate for many purposes, providing a whole lot of miles of vary at an inexpensive worth. That is what issues right here. The logic right here appears to be: let’s get folks into EVs first and then fear about efficiency. In any case, ICE will nonetheless be round for some time.
And people automobiles that want the additional oomph? Nicely, GM is not abandoning NCM chemistry. The corporate will proceed to make use of NCM chemistry for the foreseeable future. So high-performance EVs and vehicles that want additional vary and energy for towing needn’t fear—there are alternatives.
GM will even take a step again in its method to a “one-size-fits-all” battery. Whereas modularity undoubtedly performs a component in profitability, the automaker sees it as extra advantageous to tailor battery packs to particular person automobiles as an alternative. The trick is to maneuver from pouch cells to prismatic cells. The automaker says that this may enable for easier and cheaper pack manufacturing by slashing the variety of modules in every pack by as much as 75%.
Much less complexity, fewer prices, extra financial savings. That is the aim.
I need you to essentially take into consideration what a greenback determine like $6,000 means. Whereas GM is bound to maintain a few of that cash to itself (it is out to become profitable, in spite of everything), that is virtually the equal of the consumer-facing $7,500 EV tax credit score. Remember the fact that GM can be reaping the rewards of the Inflation Discount Act’s 45X credit, which grants it $35 per kilowatt-hour for home battery cell manufacturing and $10/kWh for pack manufacturing. Each of these tax benefits will not be round ceaselessly, so automakers attending to equilibrium sooner means a greater probability for long-term, sustainable income.
It is a massive shift, little question. GM is rethinking the whole technique it spent so lengthy organising. Rebranding, rearchitecting, and realizing that being aggressive means staying fluid. If GM desires to remain within the sport whereas enjoying catch-up to Tesla as manufacturers like BYD breathe down its neck, it should discover methods to be extra inexpensive and accessible. Cheaper batteries? That simply is perhaps the best way.
