The earliest NMC cells used roughly equal thirds of nickel, manganese, and cobalt. GM’s present “high-nickel” Ultium cells swapped out a lot of that cobalt for nickel, whereas including aluminum as properly. They use, mentioned GM battery engineer Andy Oury, roughly 5 p.c cobalt and 10 p.c manganese, with the remaining being nickel and aluminum.
The LMR cells, nevertheless, substitute manganese—which is cheaper and extra globally plentiful—for a number of the pricier nickel and just about the entire cobalt. They’re, Oury mentioned, 60 to 70 p.c manganese, 30 to 40 p.c nickel, and solely as much as 2 p.c nickel.
The brand new chemistry, in a second kind of cell, may also use a brand new module format. Standardized Ultium NMCA modules for each car have been the suitable resolution for GM to launch its present lineup of 12 completely different EV fashions, its execs mentioned. Going ahead, the corporate envisions utilizing completely different chemistries for various functions: NMCA for high-performance and its most succesful fashions, now LMR for lengthy vary at decrease value, and LFP for its least costly fashions.
Low-cost Lengthy-Vary Electrical SUVs and Vehicles
So if LMR chemistry truly produces a cell that prices as little to make as LFP with larger vitality density, that might be a recreation changer—together with for North American competitiveness towards China within the essential sphere of battery improvement and manufacturing.
“LMR will complement our high-nickel and iron-phosphate options to increase buyer alternative within the truck and full-size SUV markets,” mentioned Kurt Kelty, GM’s vice chairman of battery, propulsion, and sustainability. It can, he mentioned, “advance American battery innovation, and create jobs properly into the longer term.”
Particularly, LMR packs will decrease the price of some full-size EV truck and SUV fashions to carry their costs nearer to these of their gasoline counterparts. That’s essential to boosting gross sales of the full-size EV fashions, which haven’t to this point reached the identical volumes and market penetrations as these of GM’s compact and midsize EV crossovers.