GM Opens Battery Development Center, Eyes $6,000 EV Cost Cut with LMR Chemistry

DETROIT — General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) on June 5, 2026, detailed a new Battery Cell Development Center at its Warren Technical Center, a linchpin in the automaker’s plan to slash electric vehicle costs by nearly 10% and bring cheaper batteries to market a year earlier than planned. The 500,000-square-foot facility, part of a $900 million bet, will pilot mass production of lithium-manganese-rich (LMR) cells, a chemistry GM says can cut $6,000 per vehicle from models like the Chevrolet Silverado EV while preserving a 400-plus mile range. First batches are expected in late 2026, with LMR vehicles on the road by 2028. “That is really going to be our bread and butter,” said Kurt Kelty, vice president of battery and sustainability. GM is pivoting away from pricier NMC chemistry for mainstream models after taking a $1.6 billion charge in 2025 to retool EV production. The center bridges a gap between R&D and full-scale gigafactories, allowing the automaker to test and refine new chemistries at far lower cost before scaling.