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GM Drops Ultium as Its EV Battery Brand—But Not Everywhere

GM’s Ultium change is a scoped branding and battery-strategy shift toward program-specific choices—not an end to its EV battery operations.
Entry425 Date Time3 min MechanicCarCody Team
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General Motors said in October 2024 that it would phase out the Ultium name for its EV batteries and technologies as it moved from a common battery approach toward choices tailored to individual vehicle programs. The change did not mean GM was closing its battery operations: the company said Ultium would remain in use for its joint-venture manufacturing sites and other facilities. Public uses have also persisted, including GM’s September 2026 reference to Ultium Cells LLC.

What GM changed—and what it did not

GM’s October 2024 announcement was a change in branding and battery strategy, not an announcement that the company was abandoning EV batteries. GM said it would sunset the Ultium name for its batteries and technologies, while continuing to use Ultium for joint-venture manufacturing sites and other facilities. Ars Technica reported the announcement on October 9, 2024.

The distinction matters because “Ultium” had covered more than a cell. At its March 2020 launch, GM described Ultium batteries as part of a flexible EV platform; GM’s later glossary definition also includes drive units. The name could therefore refer to battery technology, a vehicle-platform concept, drive units, or the manufacturing venture and facilities—not one specific chemistry or a single battery part.

Why GM moved away from one common battery approach

GM battery executive Kurt Kelty described the strategic shift as a move toward batteries selected for individual vehicle programs rather than one recipe meant to serve every vehicle. As quoted by Ars Technica, Kelty said: “It now makes business sense to transition from one-size-fits-all to new program-specific batteries.”

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In its 2024 coverage, Ars Technica reported that GM was considering a wider range of cell formats and chemistries, including cylindrical and prismatic cells alongside pouch cells. The underlying distinction is that cell form factor describes a cell’s physical shape, while chemistry describes its materials and electrochemical characteristics. Neither is the same thing as a brand name.

Ultium’s original scope and GM’s newer direction

GM’s March 4, 2020 launch announcement presented Ultium as a flexible battery-and-platform approach. It cited 50–200 kWh battery options, range of up to 400 miles or more, and charging capabilities as product and platform targets at the time. Those were GM’s original stated targets, not verified outcomes for every current GM EV.

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The newer direction is more modular in its stated intent: GM can select technologies for particular vehicle programs rather than treating one branded system as the uniform answer. That does not establish that every vehicle will use a different battery, nor does the change alone tell buyers which cell chemistry or format is in a particular model.

What the 2026 LMR announcement shows

On September 29, 2026, GM announced plans for prismatic lithium manganese rich (LMR) cells for future vehicles, an example of the broader battery choices described in the strategy shift. GM said the planned LMR cells would have 33% greater energy density than LFP at comparable cost. This is GM’s design claim, not an independently verified production result. The announcement does not establish that the cells are already in production or in vehicles.

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GM also said construction and upgrades at its Spring Hill facility were expected to be completed in 2028. The company projected 500 new jobs from the work and described the current workforce there as 1,200 employees. Those figures and the completion date are company projections and schedule, not confirmed outcomes. GM’s September 29, 2026 announcement uses the name Ultium Cells LLC for the GM–LG Energy Solution joint venture.

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Why the Ultium name still appears

GM’s public language has not changed everywhere at once. Its glossary, accessed October 8, 2026, still defines Ultium broadly as a brand for next-generation batteries, drive units, and platform. The glossary page does not display a publication date. Separately, the September 2026 announcement continues to use Ultium Cells LLC as the joint-venture name.

These uses do not negate the 2024 statement that GM would sunset Ultium branding for batteries and technologies. They show that the transition is scoped and uneven in public-facing materials: company and facility names, legacy descriptions, and technology branding are not necessarily retired on the same schedule. The available announcements do not establish that GM removed the name from every vehicle, facility, or corporate page.

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What this means for EV shoppers

  • Do not read the branding change as evidence that GM stopped developing or manufacturing EV batteries.
  • Do not assume that “Ultium” identifies a particular cell chemistry, cell shape, or a battery specification shared by every GM EV.
  • For a specific vehicle, rely on its model-year specifications rather than the Ultium label to determine battery capacity, chemistry, range, or charging details.
  • Treat GM’s LMR figures and Spring Hill schedule as announced plans and company claims until production and results are established.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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