Ultium Cells LLC, a joint venture between General Motors and LG Energy Solution, announced on September 28, 2026, that it will upgrade its battery cell manufacturing facility in Spring Hill, Tennessee, to produce lithium manganese rich (LMR) cells for future GM electric vehicles. The project will add prismatic cell production while maintaining multiple chemistries and form factors at the site.
Ultium Cells said the facility is expected to become the first in the world to mass-produce prismatic LMR battery cells. According to the company, the technology has the potential to provide 33% higher energy density than lithium iron phosphate (LFP), while offering a comparable cost.
Modifications to the Spring Hill plant are scheduled to begin later this year and are expected to be completed in 2028. The expansion is projected to create 500 new jobs, adding to the facility’s current workforce of 1,200 employees.
The upgrade follows the start of LFP cell production at the facility in June 2026. Those cells are intended for energy storage systems supplied to LG Energy Solution Vertech customers. The combined investment in the LFP and LMR programs and related facility improvements is expected to reach $1 billion by 2030.
The Spring Hill operation will produce high-nickel, LFP and LMR battery chemistries in pouch and prismatic formats. This manufacturing mix is intended to support applications ranging from electric vehicles to stationary energy storage systems.
General Motors Vice President of Battery and Sustainability Kurt Kelty said high-nickel batteries would continue to support the highest-range vehicles in GM’s portfolio, while LMR cells are intended to provide lower costs and improved performance compared with current affordable chemistries. Ultium Cells said the investment represents its second major project at the Spring Hill facility.
Source: ultiumcell.com
