--- title: "General Motors' battery strategy shifts: LMR replaces LFP as the mainstay, diverging from Tesla's route" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/289458098.md" description: "General Motors is reassessing its electric vehicle battery technology roadmap, planning to replace lithium iron phosphate (LFP) with lithium manganese rich (LMR) as the main technology. Kurt Kelly, head of battery technology, stated that LFP may not enter its product lineup, while LMR will be the technology for large-scale adoption. This move differentiates General Motors from competitors like Tesla and Ford on the path to reducing costs. The Tennessee plant will shift to producing LFP cells for energy storage, while the commercialization of LMR is progressing as planned" datetime: "2026-06-11T11:39:03.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/289458098.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/289458098.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/289458098.md) --- # General Motors' battery strategy shifts: LMR replaces LFP as the mainstay, diverging from Tesla's route According to reports from foreign media citing Kurt Kelly, the head of battery technology at General Motors (GM.US), General Motors is reassessing the battery chemistry route for its future electric vehicles, with the potential to prioritize lithium manganese rich (LMR) technology over lithium iron phosphate (LFP). This adjustment indicates that General Motors is choosing a different technological path from competitors like Tesla and Ford in reducing electric vehicle costs. ## LFP May Be Excluded from General Motors' Electric Vehicle Portfolio, LMR Progressing as Planned General Motors had previously planned to use LFP batteries in some upcoming electric vehicle models and intended to start LFP cell production at its Tennessee plant by the end of 2027. However, Kelly clearly stated in an interview, "LFP may not make it into our product lineup." He described LMR technology as General Motors' "main force" and emphasized, "This is the battery technology we will adopt on a large scale." This statement suggests that General Motors holds reservations about the comprehensive competitiveness of LFP beyond cost and safety. Although LFP batteries have low raw material costs and good thermal stability, their energy density is relatively low, resulting in weaker range under the same volume. While LFP may fade from General Motors' electric vehicle landscape, the Tennessee plant will still produce LFP cells—its use will shift to energy storage systems rather than electric vehicles. This adjustment allows General Motors to retain the investment value of the LFP production line while directing electric vehicle resources towards LMR. Last year, General Motors announced a goal to start commercial production of LMR cells at a U.S. plant by 2028. Kelly did not explicitly confirm whether this timeline remains unchanged but stated that LMR technology "is being developed as planned." This indicates that General Motors has high expectations for the commercialization prospects of LMR. ## Divergence in Technological Routes from Competitors This shift by General Motors differentiates it from an increasing number of peers adopting LFP batteries. Tesla (TSLA.US), Ford (F.US), and Rivian (RIVN.US) have all expanded the use of LFP batteries in entry-level electric vehicle models in recent years to reduce overall vehicle costs and enhance price competitiveness. Notably, Tesla has widely applied LFP batteries supplied by CATL in the Model 3 and Model Y produced at its Shanghai factory. It is worth mentioning that General Motors' recently launched cheapest electric vehicle model in the U.S. market—the 2025 Chevrolet Bolt—uses LFP cells from Chinese battery giant CATL. This also indicates that General Motors will still rely on LFP to meet the demand for low-cost models in the short term, but the long-term strategic focus has clearly shifted towards LMR. ## Prospects and Challenges of LMR Technology LMR batteries have a theoretical energy density higher than LFP, approaching that of ternary lithium batteries, while having a lower cobalt content, which helps control raw material costs. However, LMR technology has not yet been validated through large-scale mass production, and its long-term stability in terms of cycle life and voltage decay still requires further breakthroughs. If General Motors can solve these engineering challenges before 2028, it is expected to establish a differentiated advantage in the next generation of electric vehicles Analysts point out that General Motors' strategy of betting on LMR carries both risks and opportunities. If it can achieve mass production of LMR ahead of schedule, it will gain a technological lead; however, if the research and development progress falls short of expectations, it may lag behind competitors who adopt the mature LFP route in the cost competition for electric vehicles. As a result of this news, investors may reassess General Motors' cost control capabilities and the risks associated with its technological route in the electric vehicle sector. Currently, General Motors has not updated its 2028 LMR mass production timeline, nor has it clarified the specific timeline for completely exiting the electric vehicle product line with LFP. 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