GM to Add Battery Testing Equipment
Later this year, General Motors Co. will make "additional major enhancements" to a battery development and testing lab in Warren, Mich.
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Later this year, General Motors Co. will make "additional major enhancements" to a battery development and testing lab in Warren, Mich.
The plan will include new test chambers and advanced equipment to accelerate the company's next-generation battery architecture, CEO Mary Barra wrote in a LinkedIn post. She didn’t say how much would be invested in the project or provide any other details.
GM recently expanded the battery lab, which is located within the company’s massive technical center in Warren, to more than 100,000 sq ft. As a result, the carmaker can complete nearly all battery testing under one roof, which Barra says reduces development time and cost.
GM opened the lab in 2009. In 2013, the company invested $20 million to nearly triple the lab's size to 85,000 sq ft.
GM will begin sourcing batteries this autumn from a new LG Electronics Inc. facility in Hazel Park, Mich., for use in the Chevrolet Bolt electric sedan. In March, the carmaker announced plans to increase production of the Bolt at its Orion Township, Mich., assembly plant.
Barra previously said GM expects its electrified-vehicle business to be profitable with the launch of its next-generation EV platform in 2021. The company plans to launch at least 20 new all-electric and fuel cell-powered vehicles worldwide by 2023 with annual sales forecast to top 1 million units by 2026.RELATED CONTENT
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