GM Says Its New LMR Battery Is 33% More Energy-Dense Than LFP

GM’s 4th-generation EV platform

General Motors says its fourth-generation electric vehicle platform will use lithium manganese-rich, or LMR, batteries. The company claims that this new battery chemistry is designed to provide 33% higher energy density than lithium iron phosphate, or LFP, batteries.

Higher energy density means that an LMR battery can store more energy in relation to its size and weight. According to GM, this could allow electric vehicles to achieve longer driving ranges while using smaller and lighter battery packs. The company also says that LMR batteries could be produced at a cost comparable to LFP batteries.

GM plans to produce the LMR prismatic cells through Ultium Cells, its joint venture with LG Energy Solution, at a facility in Spring Hill, Tennessee. The batteries are intended for GM’s high-volume electric vehicle segments, where range, durability and affordability are important considerations.

The company says LMR batteries will be combined with more efficient electric drive units and improved vehicle aerodynamics. GM estimates that these changes could provide roughly 20% more range for every kilowatt-hour of energy compared with its current electric vehicles.

GM also says it used computer modeling to evaluate more than 300,000 battery designs before producing a physical prototype. This process was used to study different battery configurations and support the development of the LMR technology for its next-generation EV platform.

The new batteries will be used in vehicles designed for broad market segments. GM says the platform will also include centralized computing and an updated version of its Super Cruise driver-assistance system. The company describes the platform as part of its plan to develop electric vehicles with improved range and energy efficiency.

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