Ultium

The high-voltage battery is composed of pouch cells that can be stacked horizontally or vertically, depending on the form factor appropriate for each vehicle, generally carried between the axles and under the floor.

[6] General Motors revealed the Ultium battery and platform technologies during a week-long March 2020 event held at the General Motors Technical Center in Warren, Michigan;[7] GM chairwoman and CEO Mary Barra called it "a multi-brand, multi-segment EV strategy with economies of scale that rival our full-size truck business with much less complexity and even more flexibility".

[8] The Ultium Drive branding was applied six months later in September 2020, referring to electric vehicle drivetrain components exclusive of the batteries, such as the traction motors and power electronics.

[9] GM announced in June 2021 it would collaborate with Wabtec to provide Ultium battery modules for zero-emission heavy-haul locomotives, including the FLXDrive.

[10] In 2022, the US Army selected GM Defense to demonstrate an electric military vehicle, using the GMC Hummer EV pickup.

[5] Mass production of Ultium Drive motors and units is scheduled to start in 2024 at the GM Toledo[12][13] and St. Catharines propulsion factories.

[29] Each Ultium pouch cell measures approximately 23 by 4 by 0.4 in (584 by 102 by 10 mm) and weighs 3.0 lb (1.36 kg), capable of storing 0.37 kWh;[30] the nominal voltage is 3.7 V and it is rated at 103 Ah.

[30] The Cadillac Lyriq has a 12-module battery pack, essentially equivalent to a single layer of the Hummer, operating at 400 V (nominal) and capable of charging at a rate of up to 190 kW.

[50] In 2022, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) provided a $2.5 billion loan to Ultium Cells to assist in the construction of the three announced plants in the US.

[52] Later that year, Samsung SDI announced it was entering a joint venture with GM, and the fourth plant would proceed at the Indiana site.

[54] At that time, GM announced plans to expand Ultium module production to CAMI Assembly, where the Zevo vans are built, using cells shipped from the battery production facilities; starting in 2024, Ultium modules assembled at CAMI will be used on-site and shipped to other GM EV plants.

[46] In December 2024, GM announced it would sell its stake in Ultium Cells Lansing to LG, with the transaction expected to close in the first quarter of 2025.