LG Chem signs $19 billion battery deal with GM

LG Chem is signing a nearly $19 billion deal with General Motors that will see the battery company supply the automaker with battery materials over the course of ten years.

LG Chem announced today that it would supply 500,000 tonnes of cathode material to GM through 2035. The materials will be produced at the company’s Tennessee factory starting in 2026.

The deal is worth 24.7 trillion won, which equates to $18.6 billion.

The deal was first reported by Nikkei Asia.

“We will lead the EV market in North America by keeping strategic cooperation with GM, the No. 1 automaker in the U.S.,” LG Chem Vice Chairman Shin Hak-cheol said when the deal was announced.

500,000 tonnes of battery material is enough to produce around 5 million electric vehicles, and GM is one of the legacy automakers that has its sights set on being widely competitive in the global EV market.

Jeff Morrison, GM’s VP of Global Purchasing and Supply Chain, noted in a statement that the deal with LG Chem will help the company obtain the resources it needs to broaden its EV plans.

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“This contract builds on GM’s commitment to create a strong, sustainable battery EV supply chain to support our fast-growing EV production needs,” Morrison said. “Importantly, this work with LG Chem will happen in Tennessee and strengthens the North American supply chain at a critical time for the industry.”

As government incentive plans that have pushed EVs to the forefront continue to take center stage, foreign companies are flocking to the U.S. to take advantage of the benefits. Automakers will soon need a higher percentage of battery packs to be assembled and comprised of U.S.-made materials, and battery makers are racing to be the first to win big contracts from car companies.

LG Chem is just one of them.

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