Tennessee: Ultium Cells to Invest Another $1 Billion in Spring Hill Battery Plant
Tennessee's electric vehicle battery supply chain is getting another billion-dollar boost. On September 29, Governor Bill Lee and the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development announced that Ultium Cells, the joint venture between General Motors and LG Energy Solution, will invest an additional $1 billion to retool and diversify its battery cell plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee. Once complete, the facility is expected to be the first in the world to mass-produce prismatic lithium manganese-rich (LMR) battery cells. The company says LMR cells offer about 33% greater energy density than lithium iron phosphate (LFP), today's leading affordable chemistry, at a comparable cost — potentially giving EVs longer range without a higher price tag. Facility modifications will begin later this year and are expected to be completed in 2028. Ultium Cells first came to Spring Hill in 2021, pledging more than $2.3 billion and 1,300 jobs, and expanded in 2022 with a further $275 million and 400 additional jobs. Governor Lee said the continued investment reflects confidence in Tennessee's skilled workforce and business climate. For Chinese readers tracking the EV industry and job market, Tennessee's growing role in American auto manufacturing points to continued demand for engineering, technical and supply-chain talent in the region.
(Source: Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development)
Source: Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: Wikimedia Commons · Tennessee State Capitol 2009.jpg · Public domain
