GM

Company is close to battery for electric cars that lasts more than 1 million kilometers

DETROIT, United States (Reuters) - General Motors said on Tuesday it was "almost there" in the development of a battery for electric vehicles that will last 1 million miles (about 1.6 million kilometers).
The automaker is working on next-generation batteries, more advanced than the new Ultium battery, launched in March, according to GM executive vice president Doug Parks, who spoke at an online investor conference.
He did not specify a timetable for introducing the 1 million-mile battery, but said that "several teams" at GM are working on advances such as zero cobalt electrodes, solid-state electrolytes and ultra-fast charging.
Current electric vehicle batteries typically last from 100,000 to 200,000 miles.
Reuters reported this month that Tesla, in partnership with Chinese battery manufacturer CATL, plans to launch its own 1 million mile battery later this year or early next year.
GM introduced the Ultium battery system in March. On Tuesday, the company said that its $ 2.3 billion battery-making joint venture in Ohio, created in partnership with South Korea's LG Chem, will be called Ultium Cells.
GM and LG Chem are looking at several ways to reduce battery costs, said Adam Kwiatkowski, chief engineer for GM's electric propulsion systems, at another online investor conference on Tuesday.

GM Chief Executive Mary Barra reiterated earlier this year that the automaker plans to sell 1 million electric vehicles a year starting in 2025 in the United States and China.

Paul Lienert