This Explains Why GM Ditched The Ultium EV Battery Branding

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GM despatched the Intertubes spinning final week when the corporate let phrase slip about retiring its much-publicized Ultium EV battery branding. GM is increasing its give attention to electrical automobiles, although, and a brand new strategic partnership with the California startup Forge Nano signifies that the corporate has formidable plans to pursue lower-costing, higher-performing batteries alongside a branding refresher.

Good-Bye Ulitium EV Battery Branding, We Hardly Knew Ye

Bloomberg reporter David Welch scooped the Ultium EV battery information on October 7, noting that the “Ultium” identify was launched to nice fanfare simply 4 years in the past (see extra Ultium battery background right here).

Welch additionally indicated that the branding change is a part of “a broad strategic shift led by a brand new battery boss,” that being former Tesla government Kurt Kelty. Described by some as Tesla’s “battery guru,” Kelty started engaged on lithium-ion batteries for Panasonic in 1993 earlier than shifting on to Tesla.

In February of this 12 months, GM tapped Kelty for the position of Vice President of Batteries, reporting on to GM President Mark Reuss. “On this newly created position, Kelty shall be charged with GM’s battery cell technique and a brand new end-to-end method,” GM famous in a press assertion.

“Kelty plans to put out GM’s new method to batteries at its investor day presentation on Tuesday, together with a plan to make use of various kinds of chemistry, a wide range of shapes of cells and alternative ways to bundle them for its EVs,” Welch famous final week, including that Kelty additionally has some cost-cutting plans within the works.

GM And The EV Battery Supplies Connection

For the report, Kelty will not be among the many rash of current departures from Tesla. He left throughout an earlier rash of administration turnover again in 2017, after an 11-year run on the firm.

Why he left is a matter of hypothesis, however the place he went will not be. As of 2019, Kelty was dealing with the chores of Vice President of Commercialization and Battery Engineering at Sila Nanotechnologies, the place he shepherded the corporate’s silicon-based anode into the market.

“Lithium-ion is presently probably the most environment friendly battery know-how obtainable, however the supplies used have largely remained unchanged, which has led to within the final 5 years delivering solely 1-2% enhancements at a time when new options and capabilities require extra battery energy to run,” Kelty defined to CleanTechnica’s Jake Richardson in an interview again in 2019.

Below Kelty’s purview, Sila launched its “Titan Silicon” silicon composite to the EV battery market in 2021, billing it as a variety increaser, efficiency enhancer, and charging time reducer. “Titan Silicon generates considerably much less CO2 per kWh than graphite throughout manufacturing and is U.S. manufactured, enabling automakers to satisfy necessities for the Inflation Discount Act tax credit,” the corporate additionally notes.

A Contemporary Begin For The GM Batteries Of The Future

Kelty’s curiosity in nano-tailored EV battery supplies can be evident in GM’s newly introduced relationship with Forge Nano, consisting of a $10 million funding from the automaker’s GM Ventures department together with a proper collaboration between GM and Forge with an eye fixed on making use of atomic layer deposition to EV batteries.

“Atomic layer deposition is a floor engineering approach that applies thin-film coatings to battery supplies to manage chemistry and construction at atomic scale,” Forge Nano defined in a press launch earlier immediately.

“Forge Nano’s Atomic Armor know-how has game-changing potential for our battery supplies,” noticed GM Managing Director Anirvan Coomer.

“They’ve already demonstrated the flexibility to broaden cathode capabilities, which is the costliest battery cell element. This might unlock advantages for each prospects and the enterprise,” Coomer added.

Driving Down The Value Of EV Batteries

If that is starting to ring some bells, you could be considering of Forge Battery, a department of Forge Nano.

In July, Forge Battery surfaced on the CleanTechnica radar when the corporate recapped its plans for deploying atomic layer deposition (ALD) in its new EV battery manufacturing facility, anticipated to start out operations in 2026 with the anticipation of a 20% drop in manufacturing prices.

“Typical, broadly used coating processes are primarily based on bodily or chemical vapor deposition. ALD permits for extra precision and decrease bills, partly by eliminating the pricey components wanted for typical deposition,” CleanTechnica famous.

Forge Nano has additionally famous that EV batteries made with the ALD coating course of can final for not less than 20 years and are extra amenable to recycling than batteries made with typical manufacturing strategies, along with all the opposite advantages, together with a 20% improve in vary, 10-minute quick charging, and a 20% minimize in prices per kilowatt-hour.

What Comes After Ultium?

It stays to be seen if the GM-Forge partnership yields higher branding together with higher batteries. They may take a cue from Forge Battery, which is advertising and marketing its first industrial ALD-enabled EV battery below the identify Supercell. Forge Nano isn’t too shabby, both. The corporate sells its ALD coating for EV batteries as Atomic Armor.

Both approach, GM goes to wish lithium, and loads of it in keeping with the corporate’s plans for increasing its EV lineup. The corporate has been dashing to nail down lithium provide chains forward of the competitors, the most recent instance being a brand new funding settlement and three way partnership with the Canadian agency Lithium Americas Corp. to kickstart the Thacker Move lithium mine in Humboldt County, Nevada.

The association contains $625 million in money and letters of credit score from GM together with a vote of confidence from the US Division of Power within the type of a $2.3 billion conditional mortgage dedication. GM describes its stake as the largest ever “publicly introduced funding by a U.S. OEM in a lithium carbonate venture,” emphasizing the “strategic significance of Thacker Move in making a home provide chain for important minerals.”

That’s the lithium provide aspect of the story. On the branding aspect, GM has put its John Hancock on a mining venture that has confronted an uproar of protest since first permitted in 2021.

“As soon as once more, Native leaders confront an extractive trade hungry for sources — with some environmental activists caught between their needs to guard pristine wilderness and transfer away from fossil fuels,” defined activist and Standing Rock Sioux tribe member Tokata Iron Eyes in a weblog publish for the Lakota Peoples’ Legislation Venture final 12 months.

On a extra constructive be aware, GM has additionally indicated that the EV battery of the long run will get pleasure from a a lot much less contentious provide chain. Again in 2021, GM was the primary investor to place up a number of thousands and thousands in help of a brand new geothermal brine lithium extraction system below growth by the agency Managed Thermal Sources.

CRT is certainly one of a number of US corporations engaged on new lithium extraction methods that leverage geothermal power to reduce floor disruption. The corporate broke floor on its Hell’s Kitchen venture earlier this 12 months, so keep tuned for extra on that.

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Picture: GM is laying plans for the EV battery of the long run, together with new cost-cutting, performance-enhancing atomic layer deposition know-how (courtesy of Forge Nano).