General Motors plans to build a $145 million battery cell prototype center at its Global Technical Center campus in Warren, construction is expected to begin in November 2024. The production peak should be around 3,600 prototype cells/year.
The company reports that this facility will help accelerate electric vehicle battery cell development, lower costs, and address manufacturability concerns before mass production. The news follows the rebranding of its previously named Ultium Cells projects, which should start producing cells by 2027.
The facility, to be constructed by Walbridge, is planned to span 165,000 square feet next to the Wallace Battery Cell Innovation Center.
The project is not expected to create a significant number of new jobs. However, GM reports that the new facility will enhance development speed and assist manufacturing partners in becoming more efficient. The company states that this increased capability can help close the learning gap between cell development and mass production, potentially reducing development times by up to a year from concept to launch of new battery technology. The battery cell development center will enable GM to validate new concepts, which can then be shared with manufacturing partners to expedite their production capabilities.
This investment is part of GM’s ongoing expansion at its Tech Center, where the automaker has invested $2.5 billion over the past five years. As the campus in the suburbs grows, GM is preparing to vacate its longtime headquarters in the Renaissance Center for less space as the marquee office tenant of the new $1.4 billion Hudson’s Detroit development on Woodward Avenue downtown.
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