Latest news with #KurtKelty
USA Today
a day ago
- Automotive
- USA Today
GM inks deal to recycle EV batteries to power AI
Used batteries from General Motors vehicles may soon power artificial intelligence centers. The Detroit automaker signed a 'non-binding memorandum of understanding' to deploy new and used electric vehicle batteries for storage systems that power a Nevada microgrid, which, in turn, powers a modular data center for AI infrastructure company Crusoe, the company said last Wednesday. GM defines the terms of the deal as a business plan in place that outlines the automaker's intentions to work together moving forward on the deployment of energy storage systems meant to strengthen American grid resiliency. This expands on an existing partnership with Redwood Materials, which the companies announced in May 2024 to recycle production scrap from two Ultium Cells battery plants, in Warren, Ohio and Spring Hill, Tennessee. Ultium Cells is the joint battery cell manufacturing venture between GM and LG Energy Solution. These GM EV batteries are already powering Redwood's microgrid in Nevada supporting AI infrastructure company Crusoe. That installation can deliver 12 megawatts of power at any instant, and the total capacity of the site is 63-megawatt hours, GM said. 'The market for grid-scale batteries and backup power isn't just expanding, it's becoming essential infrastructure,' said Kurt Kelty, vice president of batteries, propulsion and sustainability at GM. 'Electricity demand is climbing, and it's only going to accelerate. To meet that challenge, the U.S. needs energy storage solutions that can be deployed quickly, economically and made right here at home. GM batteries can play an integral role.' The business of recycling batteries The news comes on the heels of several announcements GM has made regarding investment in electric vehicle propulsion. Earlier this week, GM and LG said they would scale production of lithium iron phosphate battery cells, a lower-cost alternative to the nickel-rich batteries the companies also produce together, at their Ultium facility in Tennessee. In case you missed it: GM inks multibillion-dollar deal for synthetic battery materials to bypass China Redwood Materials, founded and run by former Tesla chief technology officer JB Straubel, also partners with Toyota Motor Co., Ford Motor Co., Volvo, Volkswagen and Audi to extract lithium, nickel and cobalt from 'end-of-life' battery packs. Redwood Materials then remanufactures those materials into cathodes, according to its website. 'Both GM's second-life EV batteries and new batteries can be deployed in Redwood's energy storage systems, delivering fast, flexible power solutions and strengthening America's energy and manufacturing independence,' Straubel said in a statement. GM's contract with Redwood allows it to enter a new business much like its partner LG Energy Solution in the race to build batteries that support the U.S. electric grid and fuel the growing demand of artificial intelligence. The South Korean battery maker, the largest in the country, completed expansion of its Holland, Michigan, facility last month after investing over $1.4 billion to manufacture batteries for storage systems. The plant, operational since 2012, also produces automotive vehicle batteries for partners, including General Motors, Honda and Hyundai Motors. Still, the collaboration with Redwood Materials to deploy energy storage systems does not put it in direct competition with its joint venture partner. Rather, the expansion requires using new GM-manufactured battery packs made from cells from Ultium Cells JV with LG Energy Solution, and second-life GM EV batteries with Redwood Materials integrating GM battery technology into battery energy storage systems, according to a company spokesman. Striking a deal Partnerships between automakers and battery recyclers are a growing trend in North America, but are still in their infancy and it remains to be seen how well the business model will work, according to Tony Flanagan, a partner and managing director in the automotive and industrial practice at AlixPartners. The investment required to get a battery recycling operation up and running is substantial, and the revenue stream for U.S. automakers is difficult to project due to the mercurial changes facing the EV environment in North America. 'Europe and China seem to have better business models for these partnerships as we see the global supply of EV batteries for recycling on track to take off in 2028, driven largely by growth' outside the United States, he said, adding that battery recycling capacity is on track to be about three times what it is today by 2030, with China representing approximately 70% of the market and the U.S. just 10%. The U.S. Department of Energy said last December in its 2024 Report on U.S. Data Center Energy Use that data center load growth tripled over the past decade and is projected to double or triple again by 2028. Meanwhile, Redwood Materials anticipates more than 100,000 EVs will require recycling by the end of 2025. The lifespan of an EV battery Just because a battery is no longer useful in an electric vehicle does not mean it's useless, according to Liz Najman, director of market insights at EV research firm and shopping resource Recurrent. In 2025, the new electric vehicle will produce batteries with an average of 93 kilowatts of charge. Depending on the manufacturer, a battery is considered end-of-life in an electric vehicle, when around 70 kilowatt hours remain. 'When you lose that 30% in battery capacity, you lose around 30%, plus or minus, of range. For a lot of people, that's no longer satisfactory,' she told the Free Press. 'You're not just losing the capacity of the battery; you're losing the rate of energy delivery ― which is power.' Even for vehicles on the road for over five years, decommissioned electric vehicle batteries could last another 10 to 20 years before officially expiring ― but the technology hasn't been around long enough to specify accurate lifespans, Najman said. Microgrids like the one GM EV batteries will power are more resilient and cost-effective than a traditional energy grid, Najman said, and are exempt from the processes of a state-regulated utility. 'We don't actually know ― modern lithium-ion batteries have not been around and in use for that long,' she said. 'We don't know how long these vehicle batteries will continue to be useful, but it's longer than people expect.' Jackie Charniga covers General Motors for the Free Press. Reach her at jcharniga@
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Why GM Spring Hill is changing up how it produces EV batteries
General Motors' Spring Hill plant will begin producing cheaper battery cells as part of the company's ongoing multibillion dollar joint-venture with South Korean-based LG Energy Solution. The announcement is the latest stepping stone of a 2021 $2.3 billion partnership dubbed Ultium Cells. The low-cost battery cells are known as lithium iron phosphate (LFP). Named after the elemental compounds involved, LFPs are cheaper than other battery cell counterparts used in electric vehicles. 'At GM, we're innovating battery technology to deliver the best mix of range, performance and affordability to our EV customers,' Kurt Kelty, VP of batteries, propulsion, and sustainability at GM, said in a press release. 'This upgrade at Spring Hill will enable us to scale production of lower cost LFP cell technologies in the U.S., complementing our high-nickel and future lithium manganese rich solutions and further diversifying our growing EV portfolio.' Touted for its longer range between charges and reliability in low temperatures, high-nickel battery cells continue to dominate the U.S. market. Despite high-nickel's advantages, EV manufacturers are beginning to favor LFPs for its lower costs and non-combustibility. With the majority of LFP production based in China, a host of EV manufacturers are planning to onshore LFP manufacturing to create supply chain security. While LG Energy Solution has major LFP production sites in Holland, Michigan, and now Spring Hill, other soon-to-be LFP manufacturers include Tesla and Ford who plan to build production sites in Nevada and Michigan, respectively. The Spring Hill plant employs 1,300 people and expects to begin producing the battery cells by late 2027. 'We are grateful for the continued partnership and support we've received from the state of Tennessee as we continue to advance our lead in EV battery cell manufacturing,' President and CEO of Ultium Cells Kee Eun said in a statement. 'This investment expands our capabilities beyond a single battery cell chemistry, allowing us to produce new chemistries alongside our existing cells. 'Expanding our product portfolio ensures Ultium Cells will remain at the forefront of battery cell innovation and sustain our commitment to be a stable, long-term employer for the communities we serve.' The Ultium Cells plant in Warren, Ohio, will continue to produce battery cells with nickel cobalt manganese aluminum chemistry. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: General Motors plans to produce cheaper EV batteries in 2027 Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Axios
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Axios
GM, Redwood Materials to team on U.S.-built batteries for storage
General Motors is partnering with Redwood Materials, a battery recycler and energy company, to supply U.S.-built batteries for backup energy storage systems. Why it matters: The companies are responding to the soaring demand for battery storage systems that can offset power outages and reinforce the grid during peak demand. Between the lines: It's also a hedge against slower-than-expected electric vehicle sales. While GM's EV lineup continues to expand, microgrid storage represents another market for its made-in-America batteries. The deal expands an existing partnership with Redwood Materials to supply end-of-life EV batteries for recycling or energy storage solutions. Already, second-life batteries from GM's EVs are being repurposed to help power the largest microgrid in North America. The Redwood installation in Sparks, Nevada, supports the AI infrastructure company Crusoe. By adding new EV batteries to the mix, the agreement ensures more feedstocks for Redwood Materials' newest business, Redwood Energy, which seeks to deploy new and used EV packs into energy-storage systems. The big picture: U.S. electricity demand continues to grow, driven in part by AI data centers. The Department of Energy says data centers are on track to triple their share of national electricity usage from 4.4% in 2023 to 12% by 2028. What they're saying:"The market for grid-scale batteries and backup power isn't just expanding, it's becoming essential infrastructure," Kurt Kelty, vice president of batteries, propulsion, and sustainability at GM, said in a news release. "Both GM's second-life EV batteries and new batteries can be deployed in Redwood's energy storage systems, delivering fast, flexible power solutions and strengthening America's energy and manufacturing independence," added JB Straubel, founder and CEO of Redwood Materials.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
GM's Ultium Cells battery plant in Tennessee to add production of low-cost LFP cells
This story was originally published on Automotive Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Automotive Dive newsletter. Dive Brief: Ultium Cells, the electric vehicle battery joint venture between General Motors and LG Energy Solution, is upgrading its battery cell manufacturing facility in Spring Hill, Tennessee, to add production of lower-cost lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cells, the company announced in a July 14 press release. The plans are part of a $2.3 billion investment in the plant that was announced in 2021 to produce nickel cobalt manganese aluminum (NCMA) pouch cells and LFP cells at the same facility. The conversion of existing production lines will begin later this year, with commercial production of LFP cells expected to begin in late 2027. 'The upgrade reflects the continued strength of our partnership with General Motors and our shared commitment to advancing EV battery innovation,' said Wonjoon Suh, executive VP and head of the Advanced Automotive Battery division at LG Energy Solution, in the release. Dive Insight: Introducing low-cost LFP battery chemistry into its growing lineup can help GM improve margins on its EVs, as well as reduce their costs for buyers. The higher costs of EVs using existing battery chemistries may deter shoppers and impact adoption in the U.S. now that the Federal EV tax credit of up to $7,500 is slated to end on Sept. 30. The elimination of the credit is included in the 'One Big Beautiful Bill,' which was signed into law on July 4. GM currently uses more expensive nickel manganese cobalt aluminum oxide (NMCA) batteries for its EVs. The cost-effectiveness of LFP batteries compared to NCMA or nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) types is due to the use of less expensive raw materials, including cobalt and nickel. Instead, LFP batteries use a higher amount of cheap and abundant iron and phosphate. LFP batteries contain virtually no cobalt and perform better than other cell chemistries in high temperatures, making them more resistant to cell degradation and fire for greater safety. 'At GM, we're innovating battery technology to deliver the best mix of range, performance, and affordability to our EV customers,' said Kurt Kelty, VP of batteries, propulsion, and sustainability at GM, in the release. 'This upgrade at Spring Hill will enable us to scale production of lower-cost LFP cell technologies in the U.S., complementing our high-nickel and future lithium manganese rich solutions and further diversifying our growing EV portfolio." LFP batteries also have a significantly longer cycle life and can endure more charge-discharge cycles before degrading, translating into a longer service life. In addition, LPF batteries can be fully charged to 100% without accelerating cell degradation compared to NMC batteries. This is among the reasons why many OEMs recommend charging EVs to just 80% to extend battery service life. However, the tradeoff is that drivers do not receive the vehicle's full EPA-estimated range. One of the drawbacks of LFP batteries however, is their lower energy density compared to NMC and NCA chemistries, according to Quantumscape. An automaker must use more LFP cells to achieve EV range targets that buyers now expect. Although the use of additional cells and a larger battery pack may improve range, it also increases vehicle weight and can potentially reduce an EVs interior space. In addition to Ultium Cells adding LFP cell production in Tennessee, GM and LG Energy announced in May the development of an improved lithium manganese-rich (LMR) prismatic battery cell design for the automaker's future electric vehicles. The LMR battery chemistry uses a higher percentage of lower-cost manganese to replace cobalt, while still delivering high energy density, according to GM. GM aims to be the first major automaker to use LMR batteries, and the Ultium Cells joint venture plans to start commercial production of the new cells by 2028 for GM's full-size electric trucks and SUVs. 'Our expertise in these three battery chemistries will enable us to scale production of lower-cost LMR and LFP cell technologies so we can produce both full-size electric pickups and affordable EVs like the Chevrolet Bolt,' said GM president Mark Reuss in a blog post. Ultium Cells broke ground on the Tennessee EV battery plant in 2021 and the first shipments of batteries to GM were in March 2024. Recommended Reading GM, LG Energy target commercializing manganese-rich batteries for EVs
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
GM inks deal to recycle EV batteries to power AI
Used batteries from General Motors vehicles may soon power artificial intelligence centers. The Detroit automaker signed a 'non-binding memorandum of understanding' to deploy new and used electric vehicle batteries for storage systems that power a Nevada microgrid, which, in turn, powers a modular data center for AI infrastructure company Crusoe, the company said July 16. GM defines the terms of the deal as a business plan in place that outlines the automaker's intentions to work together moving forward on the deployment of energy storage systems meant to strengthen American grid resiliency. This expands on an existing partnership with Redwood Materials, which the companies announced in May 2024 to recycle production scrap from two Ultium Cells battery plants, in Warren, Ohio, and Spring Hill, Tennessee. Ultium Cells is the joint battery cell manufacturing venture between GM and LG Energy Solution. These GM EV batteries are already powering Redwood's microgrid in Nevada supporting AI infrastructure company Crusoe. That installation can deliver 12 megawatts of power at any instant, and the total capacity of the site is 63-megawatt hours, GM said. 'The market for grid-scale batteries and backup power isn't just expanding, it's becoming essential infrastructure,' said Kurt Kelty, vice president of batteries, propulsion and sustainability at GM. 'Electricity demand is climbing, and it's only going to accelerate. To meet that challenge, the U.S. needs energy storage solutions that can be deployed quickly, economically, and made right here at home. GM batteries can play an integral role.' The business of recycling batteries The news comes on the heels of several announcements GM has made regarding investment in electric vehicle propulsion. Earlier this week, GM and LG said they would scale production of lithium iron phosphate battery cells, a lower-cost alternative to the nickel-rich batteries the companies also produce together, at their Ultium facility in Tennessee. Redwood Materials, founded and run by former Tesla chief technology officer JB Straubel, also partners with Toyota Motor Co., Ford Motor Co., Volvo, Volkswagen and Audi to extract lithium, nickel, and cobalt from 'end-of-life' battery packs. Redwood Materials then remanufactures those materials into cathodes, according to its website. 'Both GM's second-life EV batteries and new batteries can be deployed in Redwood's energy storage systems, delivering fast, flexible power solutions and strengthening America's energy and manufacturing independence,' Straubel said in a statement. GM's contract with Redwood allows it to enter a new business much like its partner LG Energy Solution in the race to build batteries that support the U.S. electric grid and fuel the growing demand of artificial intelligence. The South Korean battery maker, the largest in the country, completed expansion of its Holland, Michigan, facility last month after investing over $1.4 billion to manufacture batteries for storage systems. The plant, operational since 2012, also produces automotive vehicle batteries for partners, including General Motors, Honda and Hyundai Motors. Still, the collaboration with Redwood Materials to deploy energy storage systems does not put it in direct competition with its joint venture partner. Rather, the expansion requires using new GM-manufactured battery packs made from cells from Ultium Cells JV with LG Energy Solution, and second-life GM EV batteries with Redwood Materials integrating GM battery technology into battery energy storage systems, according to a company spokesman. Striking a deal Partnerships between automakers and battery recyclers are a growing trend in North America, but are still in their infancy and it remains to be seen how well the business model will work, according to Tony Flanagan, a partner and managing direction in the automotive and industrial practice at AlixPartners. The investment required to get a battery recycling operation up and running is substantial, and the revenue stream for U.S. automakers is difficult to project due to the mercurial changes facing the EV environment in North America. 'Europe and China seem to have better business models for these partnerships as we see the global supply of EV batteries for recycling on track to take off in 2028, driven largely by growth' outside the United States, he said, adding that battery recycling capacity is on track to be about three times what it is today by 2030, with China representing approximately 70% of the market and the U.S. just 10%. The U.S. Department of Energy said last December in its 2024 Report on U.S. Data Center Energy Use that data center load growth tripled over the past decade and is projected to double or triple again by 2028. Meanwhile, Redwood Materials anticipates more than 100,000 EVs will require recycling by the end of 2025. The lifespan of an EV battery Just because a battery is no longer useful in an electric vehicle does not mean it's useless, according to Liz Najman, director of market insights at EV research firm and shopping resource Recurrent. In 2025, the new electric vehicle will produce batteries with an average of 93 kilowatts of charge. Depending on the manufacturer, a battery is considered end-of-life in an electric vehicle, when around 70 kilowatt hours remain. 'When you lose that 30% in battery capacity, you lose around 30%, plus or minus, of range. For a lot of people, that's no longer satisfactory,' she told the Free Press. 'You're not just losing the capacity of the battery; you're losing the rate of energy delivery ― which is power.' Even for vehicles on the road for over five years, decommissioned electric vehicle batteries could last another 10 to 20 years before officially expiring ― but the technology hasn't been around long enough to specify accurate lifespans, Najman said. Microgrids like the one GM EV batteries will power are more resilient and cost-effective than a traditional energy grid, Najman said, and are exempt from the processes of a state-regulated utility. 'We don't actually know ― modern lithium-ion batteries have not been around and in use for that long,' she said. 'We don't know how long these vehicle batteries will continue to be useful, but it's longer than people expect.' Jackie Charniga covers General Motors for the Free Press. Reach her at jcharniga@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: GM inks deal to recycle EV batteries to power AI
