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In a bid to leapfrog EV competition, automaker General Motors is betting on an unproven battery technology: LMR, or lithium manganese-rich prismatic cells in its latest EV strategy.
Originally discovered in the 1990s, LMR is a cathode chemistry that requires reduced levels of rare-earth materials such as cobalt and nickel, instead utilising manganese, a much cheaper and more abundant material. Theoretically, the technology promises higher levels of energy density at a reduced cost.
Despite the promise of lower manufacturing costs, LMR has faced a number of technical obstacles, including voltage fading, whereby the battery’s life cycle shortens dramatically after repeated charges.
GM claims it has overcome these technological hurdles and plans to implement LMR technology in its electric vehicles as early as 2028.
Competitor Ford has made a similar commitment, promising to deliver LMR-powered EVs by the end of 2029.
Head of General Motors’ electric vehicle segment, Kurt Kelty, spoke about the associated risks of betting on a technology previously deemed commercially unviable. He said:
“If LMR has failed, then I have failed … but if you don’t take any risk, we’re just going to be making the same old thing and just have copycat vehicles out there, and that’s not what I was brought in to do.”
A former executive at Tesla, Kelty is hoping this “risky” bet will pay off and allow GM to offer consumers price-competitive EVs. He advocated for a decisive approach to EV innovation, arguing:
“We need to make some significant improvements to really get that hockey-stick growth eventually in EVs.”
As it stands, GM uses conventional high-nickel batteries to manufacture its EVs. Elsewhere, Chinese automakers have historically favoured cheaper lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries. Kelty described LMR technology as the “middle ground” between the less energy-dense LFP technology and the expensive high-nickel batteries favoured by Korean and American manufacturers.
If GM is able to overcome voltage fading and stick to its promised timelines, it will become the first automaker to deliver LMR-powered EVs.
The Detroit automaker announced $7.6 billion in losses as it re-scaled its EV investments last year. In light of this downturn this risky bet may be just what GM needs to turn the tide on a beleaguered EV strategy.
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