Make No Mistake: Batteries Are Being Developed in the U.S.
By Bob Kruse
Global Hybrid, Electric Vehicle and Battery Engineering Executive Director
Our recent announcement that GM would produce the battery modules and packs for the Chevrolet Volt has created a lot of excitement. And it should. Our facility will be the first lithium-ion battery manufacturing plant operated by a major automaker in the U.S., and will create new “green” jobs.
The Volt’s batteries will use cells sourced from LG Chem, which is based in South Korea. And that has led to the inaccurate perception the Volt’s battery development is being led outside the U.S. – so let me clear up any confusion.
The Volt’s battery design, development and vehicle integration is and will continue to be done right here in the U.S., in Michigan.
Now, battery cells undoubtedly are the basis of any battery, but they don’t guarantee a first-class, finished product. Look at it this way: a well-poured concrete foundation for a new home is important, but it doesn’t automatically mean the finished house will meet the owner’s expectations. You need the expertise of architects, electricians, plumbers and carpenters to finish the job.
That is GM’s role in the Volt’s battery value chain.
We write the software and produce the electronic controls that operate the battery. We design the battery pack. We integrate the battery into the vehicle. We design the vehicle, and maximize the battery’s capabilities to meet the Volt’s unique performance expectations, such as up to 40 miles of electric-only driving.
With more than 15 years of advanced battery development experience and an extensive powertrain controls strategy, GM arguably has industry leading expertise in this area. And we continue to add to our resources, with the largest automotive battery lab in the U.S. We’ll officially open the facility this spring, but here’s a sneak peek from one of our webcams of an area of the lab that is already operational.
Controlling the entire battery development process, from individual cell management to vehicle integration is unique in the auto industry and gives GM a competitive advantage. How? It improves vehicle integration and safety, and provides flexibility to quickly adapt to other chemistries or cells should they come along in the future.
So, while it’s correct that the battery cells are currently coming from overseas, all of the critical development to take cells and design, develop and build the industry’s most sophisticated electric vehicle battery pack is being led by GM right here, in the U.S.
And we’ll continue to lead. In addition to officially opening the new battery lab, we’ll keep working with the University of Michigan on advanced battery R&D and educating future battery engineers. We also plan to disclose more details regarding our battery pack manufacturing facility in the near future.
But for now, I hope I’ve answered some of your questions and I look forward to reading your comments.
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Mr. Kruse,
Is there anything to this rumor, or is it just that, a rumor? Volt battery a failure?
“Inside sources reiterate what we’ve heard before: the mission critical battery for GM’s plug-in Hail Mary hybrid gas electric Volt is not achieving its performance requirements. Not even close. In fact, we’ve heard that the battery is failing to meet ANY of its targets: range, recharge time, battery life expectancy, cold weather performance, or cost.
“…such as up to 40 miles of electric-only driving.”
Up to 40 miles under what conditions?
* Air conditioner: On or off?
* Heater and defroster: On or off?
* Headlights: On or off?
* Sound system: On or off?
“Our recent announcement that GM would produce the battery modules and packs for the Chevrolet Volt has created a lot of excitement”
Must have also created a lot of controversy if you have to make a special point of explaining your relationship with LG and the components they will provide.
I am curious as to what GM is doing to handle battery units as they become depleted and replaced. I cant imagine that we want to have an enviromental hot issue when these toxic batteries start getting tossed into landfills.
Blue Wing:
Completely baseless – the batteries on the Volt continue to meet and in many cases exceed expectations. We’ve been testing battery packs in both the lab and in mules for well over a year and a half; and battery cells for even longer.
I read a lot of blah blah blah blah, but the point comes down to the fact that the batteries are not going to be manufactured in the US.
That is patently unacceptable. Period.
SteveG:
Not sure you’re reading the same blog post as the rest of us. All the battery manufacturing and technology development besides the cell will be done in the U.S., and more specifically in Michigan.
Lee Morse:
The Volt battery is extremely recoverable and recyclable after the vehicle end of life, i.e., reusable for other storage applications, and lithium itself is not toxic.
Jock Sinclair:
This is why we must continue to educate people on everything that goes into developing a battery pack. The cell is only one part of the pack. The controls, thermal management and packaging are very important as well and we are developing all those systems in the U.S.
Rob Peterson,
Thank you for debunking that rumor.
Wendell,
Do you question the EPA numbers on every vehicle made because guess what, those vary based on thousands of factors. Not the least of which is your personal driving style.
I bet the 40 mile range will be based on a typical EPA drive cycle with everything the same for what they use for a gasoline engine. If the headlights are when testing a Malibu, I bet they will be on testing a Volt. If the AC is on when testing a Malibu, I bet they will test with it on on the Volt. The EPA determines how the test is run. The 40 miles will be based on that. If you want information about the test the EPA has a great website. It’s just like saying the V6 Camaro will get 29MPH highway. If you drive 90MPH on the highway your FE will be less. If you cruise at 55 on the highway, I bet it will be better. Why don’t you question that EVERY single time they are mentioned like you do with the Volt?
Tim said: “I bet the 40 mile range will be based on a typical EPA drive cycle with everything the same for what they use for a gasoline engine. If the headlights are when testing a Malibu, I bet they will be on testing a Volt.”
Maybe, maybe not. I don’t know for sure, and neither do you. That’s why I asked. Someday GM will provide the answer, and then I can stop asking.
Buying the base cells from overseas probably makes a lot of sense economically.
If one would request that all material and components are manufactured domestically, where do you stop? You press the sheet metal in the US, using steel made from iron ore and coal from US mines, adding all sorts of alloy all from the US only…? And the energy for all those processes is produced domestically using US-based fuels alone? And you would not use any intellectual property from overseas too, even if it would be beneficial from a technical point of view? Not sure that is a feasible concept in a globalized world – and also don’t think it would be a smart thing to do.
After all – you expect to be able to sell you product globally, right? That will only work if the customers abroad are a little flexible on what is produced where…
Lee Morse,
What toxic parts are there in these batteries? They are mainly Lithium and Plastic (I think)… both of which should be easy to recycle.
The more important question is which countries have a big enough lithium supply to supply the US auto market with the raw materials needed to make them… and of course how will dealing with these countries be different then other counties we deal with now….
Steve G,
I agree…
Phil Colley with GM,
Respectfully, you can’t be serious…. the battery manufacturing will be done in the US? Last I checked most of us consider the battery to be THE CELL. Sure I guess you could call it the entire assembly… but the point most of us make is that the CELLs aren’t made HERE in the US.
When GM has a purely US developed battery cell and supporting technology.. then most of us will consider it US made. Why not move LG Chemicals plants over here?
Tim,
At least EPA testing is consistent for the most part car to car. Or rather I should say systematic.
Uli,
You make a good point but it mostly about perception… Most people are clueless about what goes into making a product. They can’t see much beyond their own two feet.
Sure producing globally isn’t a bad thing but why not put plants up in major countries…. For example if GM makes the new Camaro in Canada and the engines in the US… let say the run low on engines for some reason in the US plant and call up the plant in Australia or Europe…. and have a few shipped over… most people aren’t going to mind that because they think their parts are made in country and until they know otherwise no one cares…. So as long as GM can make enough to satisfy people who worry about that….
When someone says “battery manufacturing” most people would interpret that as the cells. Battery pack design and assembly sounds more like what we’re doing. Bob Kruse’s analogy to building a home is good. So the question becomes, should we also be making the concrete?
Historically, the US has been good at developing new technology, but not so good at transforming it into consumer (or other high-volume) products where the real money is made. Do we want to be the high-quality, low cost suppliers of batteries? Now that MIT has developed a high-capacity, fast-charging battery technology, why wouldn’t we be the ones to exploit it from a commercialization point of view? So far, two companies have licensed it, one domestic and one foreign (names not released). If we agree that battery technology for vehicles is a competitive advantage, why isn’t GM developing and manufacturing the batteries as well?
I just finished watching President Obama speach in Califonia at Ediso. I would like to say it about time technology is working on changing the way we drive today. I understand that GM is tring to better the batteries. To make them hold a charge longer so people can drive farther between recharging time. I understand the statement that I going to make will be hard for some to understand. The batteries are fine. Two years ago i started working on a theory i had in my garage about inproving the range of an electric car battery. To at least gain 1/4 more driving range before needing to recharge. What i got was more than i could hope for. I would like to work on making this technology reality.
Nate,
Its the same old song and dance. Its like when I bought an Apple Macbook Pro the box proudly stated ‘designed in the US’. Where was it built? China!
The entire battery needs to be built in the US, otherwise we are dependent on a foreign country for batteries just as we are for oil.
I’m tired of this garbage and I’m especially tired of companies telling us it’s not so when it is most definitely so.
Nate, Roger and SteveG:
The cell is not the battery pack and is only one of more than 150 parts that make-up a battery pack. The thermal systems and control technology development as well as the manufacturing of the packs is all taking place in the U.S. There is a good link in Bob’s post above to a document entitled Battery 101 you may want to check out. Plus, the fact remains there are no automotive-quality lithium-ion cell suppliers currently manufacturing cells in the U.S.
SteveG,
At least the Apple box said “DESIGNED” not “BUILT” in the USA. It wasn’t the same song and dance from Apple because they were open and honest about it….
It IS however the same song and dance for manufacturing (overseas).
Randy McMullin,
I hope you were on to something with your work….. but realize its tough to find any validity in that.
More then technology need is the need to change culture. Americans on large are very energy wasteful. If you fix that the Electric car isn’t such a big deal….
“The cell is not the battery pack and is only one of more than 150 parts that make-up a battery pack.”
Phil Colley,
But the cell is the component of the battery that actually carries the energy. The other 149+ parts are there to deliver the energy from the cells. The cells are the heavy lifters ~ all else is support.
“Plus, the fact remains there are no automotive-quality lithium-ion cell suppliers currently manufacturing cells in the U.S.”
Whatever happened to innovation and the American spirit? When Cadillac and Oldsmobile developed the Hydramatic transmission in the 1930s, they didn’t come up with the idea and then look for a foreign supplier to build it. Instead, they both developed AND built it.
Has GM atrophied so much that you can’t even build your own battery cells? if Alfred Sloan were still in charge, you would not only be building your own Li-ion battery cells, you’d be out buying lithium mines in South America in order to control battery production from start to finish.
Phil:
> Plus, the fact remains there are no automotive-quality lithium-ion cell suppliers currently manufacturing cells in the U.S.<
And that’s a problem, a big problem. Not saying it’s your fault, but something needs to be done about this. The Feds need to recognize this is a national security issue and give grants or something to make sure those cells are manufactured here in the U.S.
Phil Colley,
You didn’t address the question as to whether or not being able to build (control) the cells is a significant competitive advantage and, if it is, whether or not it’s strategically a good move to source them from someone else. When GM developed the catalytic converter, we had a lock on one of the best technologies for meeting emissions and CAFE requirements. Of course, we licensed it out …
Redd,
I think it was Henry Ford who went out and bought the rwa materials production, like rubber plantations.
Roger:
Cell research and development is best left to the chemistry experts who already have well established manufacturing and R&D capabilities. On the other hand, we have a wealth of experience when it comes to automotive manufacturing and systems control development, which are core competencies for us. We think combining our own core capabilities with the best cell suppliers is the most strategic approach and also provides us with the greatest amount of flexibility.
“On the other hand, we have a wealth of experience when it comes to automotive manufacturing and systems control development, which are core competencies for us.”
Phil,
When it comes to autos, the propulsion system is a necessary core competency. For the Volt, the batteries are the propulsion system and a “core competency.” If you want to build an electric car, in my opinion you can’t farm out the batteries.
Is GM building the electric motors for the Volt, or are you also farming that out?
Roger,
Yes, Henry Ford bought up rubber plantations in South America. If I were GM, I’d be buying the rights to lithium extraction in South America which is from where almost all lithium comes.
Amazing! Everything is known about the Volt batteries, number of cells , who makes the cells, where the chemicals come from, where they’re going to be made, yet, it seems that no one know the name of the company that’s going to make them. Seems to me there’s a little “smoke-and-mirrors” going on here. Some one’s not being truthful here. Wonder who that could be?
Roger,
Ford went out and bought sugar plantations in SA and also rubber I think….
Phil Colley with GM,
I agree outsourcing the batteries seems foolish. Are you telling me that in ALL the US there aren’t any chemists who can keep pace with foreign battery makers? And if that is true… why not transplant the battery technology here? I’m sure it boils to costs… but still it is somewhat of a PR issue. Pretty soon Americans are going to need/want American made goods again…. where is the foresight from GM on that one?
Tom,
I thought I heard that LG or Samsung was going to be making them????
Also i’d like to add that the battery cells are the critical part of the battery. The support circuits aren’t that special. Sure they might contain micochips, complex algorithms and other things… but that doesn’t change the physics of the cells. The physics of the cells is vitally important and thus should be developed in the US in my opinion. Or at least produced here.
What about partnering with a Solar Cell company to charge these cars cleanly? If all the electricity comes from coal fired power plants, how is that going to be any better for the environment? This may require people installing traditional lead acid or some other sort batteries in their garage to store the solar power produced during the day.