GM Evaluates More Than 300,000 Battery Setups for Its Next EV Platform

General Motors (GM) used computer models to assess more than 300,000 battery configurations for its fourth-generation electric vehicle program, reaching formal approval one month after its first pack concept.

The announcement came at GM Forward in New York on Wednesday, Oct. 21. The simulation count relates to the newer program; GM and LG Energy Solution had already developed a full-size lithium manganese-rich (LMR) prismatic prototype cell in 2025.

Ultium Cells, the joint venture between GM and LG Energy Solution, plans to start upgrading its Spring Hill, Tennessee, plant later in 2026. The work is expected to finish in 2028, when commercial production of LMR prismatic cells is planned. Preproduction is expected to begin at an LG Energy Solution facility in late 2027.

LMR cells are designed to provide 33% greater energy density than lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells at comparable cost. The fourth-generation platform targets roughly 20% more range per kilowatt-hour by combining the cells with changes to drive units and aerodynamics. These are design targets ahead of production.

The simulations also fit into GM’s broader virtual-development effort and its goal of developing vehicles in roughly two years, covered in earlier reporting. GM has not identified a vehicle program that has met that target.