Exclusive: GM may ditch LFP batteries for future EVs

General Motors (GM) may abandon plans to use lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, opting instead for lithium manganese-rich (LMR) batteries, which offer higher energy storage efficiency and similar production costs. GM's battery chief, Kurt Kelty, indicated that production of LFP cells in Tennessee will focus on energy storage systems rather than EVs. This strategy contrasts with competitors like Tesla and Ford, who are adopting LFP technology to reduce costs in electric vehicles. GM aims to begin LMR battery production by 2028, though challenges persist in the technology's mass adoption.

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The GM logo is displayed at the new location of the General Motors Headquarters in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., January 12, 2026. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

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SAN FRANCISCO, June 10 (Reuters) - General Motors (GM.N), opens new tab may scrap plans to use a lower-cost, iron-based battery chemistry that many automakers are using to cut electric-vehicle costs, GM's head of battery technology said.

The Detroit automaker had said it planned to develop lithium-iron phosphate, or LFP, batteries for use ‌in future EV models, and would begin making those batteries in late 2027 at a jointly owned plant in Tennessee.

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But GM battery chief Kurt Kelty told Reuters that GM instead is focused on developing a different battery chemistry, lithium manganese-rich, or LMR, which the company has said costs about the same as LFP to make in the U.S., but can store more energy for the same weight and size.

Kelty said GM ⁠may no longer pursue LFP for use in EVs. He said the Tennessee factory will start production this month of LFP cells, but those are for energy storage systems.

"There is a possibility where LFP does not earn its way into our portfolio," Kelty said following a GM event in San Francisco on Tuesday, calling LMR the "workhorse" for GM. "That's where we're going to be using the big volume," he said.

GM has been working on LMR for over a decade. Its crosstown rival, Ford Motor (F.N), opens new tab, last year said it was working to scale LMR chemistry for use in future EVs.

Despite the chemistry's advantages, including reducing reliance on critical minerals, technical challenges such as the battery weakening with ‌use mean ⁠mass adoption is not expected anytime soon, opens new tab, S&P Global said last year.

RIVALS EMBRACE LFP CHEMISTRY

Bypassing LFP would mark a significant departure from the battery strategies of many of GM’s competitors.

Chinese carmakers pioneered the use of the lower-cost LFP chemistry, which is less dense – resulting in shorter driving ranges – but also cheaper and considered safer and more durable than the nickel-rich batteries used by many ⁠U.S. and European automakers.

Many global automakers, including Tesla (TSLA.O), opens new tab, Rivian (RIVN.O), opens new tab and Ford Motor (F.N), opens new tab, have added LFP-based EVs to cut costs and offer more-affordable electric options as demand for battery-powered cars slows in the U.S.

GM has released more than a dozen U.S. EVs over the past few ⁠years, all using a more powerful nickel-rich chemistry. But its recently launched Chevrolet Bolt, its least expensive EV for the U.S. market, uses LFP cells from Chinese battery giant CATL, Reuters and other media outlets have reported.

GM said ⁠last year its goal was to start commercial production of LMR cells at a U.S. facility in 2028. Kelty did not confirm if that date is still the goal, but said LMR "is on schedule with development."

Reporting by Abhirup Roy in San Francisco and Kalea Hall in Detroit; Editing by Mike Colias and Matthew Lewis

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Abhirup Roy

Thomson Reuters

Abhirup Roy is a U.S. autos correspondent based in San Francisco, covering Tesla and the wider electric and autonomous vehicle industry. He previously reported from India on global corporations, capital markets regulation, white-collar crime, and corporate litigation. Contact him at (415) 941-8665 or connect securely via Signal on abhiruproy.10

Kalea Hall

Thomson Reuters

Kalea Hall reports on the automotive industry, focusing on the Detroit Three automakers, from Detroit. Kalea was previously an automotive reporter at The Detroit News daily newspaper where she covered the auto industry and General Motors for more than five years. She’s been a professional reporter since 2013, when she started at The Vindicator, a daily newspaper in Youngstown, Ohio and her hometown paper. Growing up in an auto plant town inspired Kalea to deeply understand the industry, and helped her report award-winning stories for The Vindicator. At The Detroit News, she worked collaboratively with a team to break news and write comprehensive pieces. Kalea has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Point Park University in Pittsburgh and a master’s degree in journalism from Michigan State University.