General Motors says its Spring Hill, Tennessee battery plant will be the first in the world to mass-produce prismatic lithium manganese-rich (LMR) cells, a chemistry the company claims packs 33% more energy density than lithium iron phosphate (LFP) at a comparable cost. Electrek reported the update on 29 September 2026.
What GM has announced
The cells will be built at Ultium Cells, GM’s joint venture with LG Energy Solution. Per the Electrek report, upgrades to the Spring Hill facility begin later in 2026 and are due to finish in 2028, with the first vehicles carrying LMR cells also expected in 2028. The work is expected to add about 500 jobs, taking the site to roughly 1,700 employees.
GM first outlined the technology with LG Energy Solution in a May 2025 announcement. The company’s stated aim is more than 400 miles of range in an electric truck, with a lower pack cost than today’s high-nickel packs. Early LMR use is planned for electric trucks and full-size SUVs.
Why it matters for buyers
The Silverado EV already reaches 478 miles using current high-nickel batteries, so the pitch for LMR is less about headline range and more about cost. A battery with LFP-like pricing but higher energy density could make long-range trucks and SUVs cheaper to build, which may eventually show up in sticker prices. Nothing here changes what you can buy today: the chemistry is still two years from a production vehicle, and GM has not published pricing for any LMR-equipped model.
For shoppers in the US market, the practical takeaway is to treat these figures as manufacturer targets rather than confirmed specifications. You can follow GM’s other electric models on our Chevrolet brand page.
Figures in this article come from GM’s statements as relayed by Electrek and from GM’s 2025 announcement. Energy-density, cost and range numbers are company claims and have not been independently verified.
