How GM is Scaling the US EV Battery Supply Chain

Three decades ago, batteries were powering handheld camcorders. Today, they’re driving electric trucks across hundreds of miles on a single charge.

It’s a leap General Motors (GM) is not just riding but shaping—building a supply chain that starts in North America and reaches into every stage of EV battery production.

While the improvements in lithium-ion batteries are clear, GM’s focus now is to match that progress with manufacturing scale, local sourcing and cost reduction.

That means building batteries better, faster and closer to home—an approach aimed at keeping pace in a global market where efficiency, resilience and control over supply chains matter more than ever.

GM’s battery ambitions hinge on scale and it’s getting there with help.

Its joint venture with LG Energy Solution, Ultium Cells, is now the largest original equipment manufacturer (OEM) battery cell producer in North America. That’s a title earned through quality, volume and consistency—key measures when competing with the world’s biggest battery players.

Thanks to these investments, GM is now the second-largest seller of EVs in the US and its first-quarter EV sales in 2025 jumped 94%. The company offers 12 electric models, making its EV lineup one of the most diverse on the market.

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned during my career, it’s that sustainable business is smart business,” says Cassandra Garber, Chief Sustainability Officer at GM.

“Reducing risk, seizing innovation and growth opportunity WHILE delivering real and meaningful impact is where it’s at. It’s hard, but when done, and done well, it’s transformative for both business and our world.”

Alongside Ultium, GM’s next manufacturing milestone arrives in 2027, when it launches a battery production facility in Indiana with Samsung SDI. This joint venture will manufacture prismatic cells—a battery format that offers design flexibility and lets GM match the right technology with each vehicle’s specific needs.

Building up the battery supply chain

GM isn’t just focusing on building cells. It’s expanding across the supply chain—moving beyond production to securing critical materials like lithium, manganese and nickel directly from North American sources.

It’s also working to localise the manufacture of key components like cathodes, anodes, electrolytes and separators. These are the building blocks of batteries and controlling them at source means better stability, lower transport costs and fewer disruptions.

By 2028, GM plans to increase the North American content of its battery supply chain eightfold. That means a far deeper integration of sourcing, production and assembly right across the region, creating a supply chain designed for long-term resilience.

“Sustainability is not just good policy. It’s good business—good for the company, for employees and for recruiting and retaining the best people, people who will help us achieve our vision,” says Mary Barra, Chair and CEO of GM.

This strategy of vertical integration and local sourcing comes with benefits for the end user too. For example, using prismatic cells and switching to LFP (lithium iron phosphate) chemistry in the Chevrolet Silverado EV will reduce battery module components by 75% and overall battery pack parts by 50%.

Together, these improvements cut US$6,000 from the cost of each battery pack—bringing more affordable EVs to market, without sacrificing range.

Innovation that starts in the lab 

To stay ahead in battery chemistry, GM turns to its Wallace Battery Cell Innovation Center (BCIC) in Michigan. The facility works on advanced battery chemistries, aiming to increase energy density while lowering cost—two of the biggest challenges in battery design.

BCIC is a bridge between research and mass production. It allows GM to bring experimental cells from lab tests to large-scale manufacturing more quickly, speeding up innovation cycles and boosting flexibility across its EV range.

That investment is part of GM’s US$7bn annual research and development spend in the US. It supports not only technology development but also local jobs and manufacturing expertise, reinforcing the company’s role in both the automotive and energy transition.

By investing in every part of the battery process, from raw materials to chemistry and formats to factories, GM is building a supply chain capable of sustaining American leadership in the global EV market.

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