Ultium Cells plans LMR retooling in Spring Hill
Ultium Cells has announced plans to upgrade its Spring Hill, Tennessee facility for lithium manganese rich, or LMR, prismatic battery cells for future General Motors electric vehicles. The joint venture between General Motors and LG Energy Solution is adding another production option to its existing mix. Manufacturing Dive covered the investment in its 2 October facility roundup.
The investment covers two programmes
The company's official announcement says the combined investment in the LMR programme, lithium iron phosphate production for stationary storage and facility improvements will reach $1 billion by 2030. The amount should therefore not be described as spending solely on the LMR conversion, or as expenditure already completed.
Facility modifications are planned to begin later in 2026 and finish in 2028. The expansion is projected to create 500 additional jobs. Those positions are planned additions, distinct from the facility's reported existing workforce. A completion target and a job projection describe future stages rather than current operating results.
Multiple chemistries remain part of the facility
The company's statement presents LMR alongside high-nickel and lithium iron phosphate technologies, rather than as a universal replacement. Its stated potential for higher energy density is a comparison with a particular alternative chemistry, not a claim that every vehicle will achieve the same change in driving range. No individual vehicle result is established by this facility announcement.
- The planned change adds LMR prismatic-cell capability.
- The billion-dollar amount covers combined programmes and improvements.
- The modification and employment milestones remain future projections.
Reading the announcement by those stages keeps the manufacturing plan separate from finished capacity and delivered vehicles. Subsequent reporting can establish progress in construction, commissioning and production without treating the initial investment plan as evidence that every stage has already occurred.
Contact information
Company: Ultium Cells LLC. Spring Hill address: 301 Donald F Ephlin Parkway, Spring Hill, Tennessee 37174. Communications contact: Katie Burdette, telephone +1 330 718 0391, email kburdette@ultiumcell.com, as published in the company's announcement. Official website: https://www.ultiumcell.com/.
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