General Motors has partnered with LG to create an all-new, high-volume battery plant.
Located in the Lordstown area of Northeast Ohio, the new joint venture’s plant will employ 1,100 workers and the investment will top $2.3 billion. The plant will have an annual capacity of 30 gigawatts.
“With this investment, Ohio and its highly capable workforce will play a key role in our journey toward a world with zero emissions,” said GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra. “Combining our manufacturing expertise with LG Chem’s leading battery-cell technology will help accelerate our pursuit of an all-electric future. We look forward to collaborating with LG Chem on future cell technologies that will continue to improve the value we deliver to our customers.”
This new plant is not to be confused with GM’s former manufacturing complex in Lordstown, Ohio. GM recently sold that plant to Lordstown Motors Corp. for the production of battery-electric trucks. However, both are located in Northeast Ohio and the Mahoning Valley, which has emerged as a major hub for technology and electric vehicle manufacturing.
“Our joint venture with the No. 1 American automaker will further prepare us for the anticipated growth of the North American EV market, while giving us insights into the broader EV ecosystem,” said LG Chem Vice Chairman & CEO Hak-Cheol Shin. “Our long-standing history with General Motors has proven our collective expertise in this space, and we look forward to continuing this drive for zero emissions.”
The new batteries will power multiple GM vehicles, including an electric pickup truck GM says that it will begin delivering in 2021.