LMR Batteries Could Unlock Midsize EV Trucks, GM President Says

"A few months ago, I frankly had no idea what a lithium manganese rich (LMR) battery even was. Now, the president of General Motors is saying this new chemistry could unlock the midsize electric trucks that have been a gaping hole in the electric market for years. On this week's Plugged-In Podcast, we asked GM President Mark Reuss: Just how big a deal are these newfangled LMR batteries you're working on?"

""The truck doesn't have enough packaging space to handle the battery packs needed for the duty cycle of the truck." So, electric trucks started out bigwith models like the Ford F-150 Lightning, Rivian R1T and a bevy of options from GM's brandsbecause they had to. Because batteries that can deliver 300 or 400 miles of range are bulky, and you need a big enough vehicle to accommodate them."

""Probably not a great idea," he went on. "Do you get something that has a better energy density at a lower cost, that you don't have to package as much battery into the truck to get the duty cycle? Now you're talking. More On Battery Tech LMR batteries are a solution, Reuss said. GM says these new cells that it's developing with LG Energy Solution will be far cheaper than the high-nickel batteries that dominate its current lineup and the U.S. EV market more broadly."

LMR (lithium manganese rich) battery chemistry targets higher energy density at lower cost than current high-nickel cells. Higher energy density reduces the physical battery volume required to meet typical truck duty cycles. Reduced pack size and lower cell cost could make battery-electric versions of midsize pickups viable without sacrificing range or payload. Automakers have favored larger electric trucks because long-range batteries are bulky and expensive, and larger vehicles both accommodate bigger packs and command higher prices. GM is developing LMR cells with LG Energy Solution aimed at lowering costs while keeping lithium-ion ingredients.

Read at insideevs.com