Did you know NMC batteries have only been around for a decade or two? Although widely used in today’s electric vehicles (EVs), nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) cathodes are a relatively recent innovation.
Kurt Kelty, VP of Battery, Propulsion, and Sustainability, with GM.
When they first entered the EV scene, engineers were drawn to the balanced formulation: equal parts nickel, manganese, and cobalt. Cobalt added thermal stability, nickel provided energy density, and manganese offered structural integrity. This mix gave early EVs dependable performance and a cathode chemistry that could scale with manufacturing.
But as the EV market evolved, so did battery priorities. “Cutting back on cobalt was the fastest way to reduce costs,” shared Kurt Kelty, VP of Battery, Propulsion, and Sustainability, with General Motors (GM). “Replacing it with nickel allowed us to stretch range without sacrificing reliability.”
The result was high-nickel variants of NMC that now power most long-range EVs on the road today. They’re still the performance leaders, particularly for vehicles where maximum driving distance is non-negotiable. But OEMs are no longer bound to a single chemistry. As battery technologies mature, there are options and reasons to align certain chemistries with specific vehicle designs and market needs.
For example, at the opposite end of the spectrum, lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries have found a home in smaller, lower-cost EVs. While they don’t deliver the same range as high-nickel chemistries, they compensate with long cycle life, thermal stability, and affordability. LFP is especially well-suited for urban vehicles that prioritize simplicity and efficiency.
Between the high-performance NMC and the durable, budget-friendly LFP, a new player has emerged: lithium manganese-rich (LMR).
“LMR batteries combine the high energy density we’ve come to expect from nickel-based chemistries, but without the heavy reliance on expensive materials like cobalt or even nickel,” said Kelty.
The shift away from high-nickel content does more than reduce material costs (already a major plus). It also improves payload efficiency, which is particularly relevant in cold weather or under heavy loads. For the full-size EV truck segment, where performance and payload are critical, LMR offers a meaningful alternative.
“Think of LMR as the sweet spot,” he explained. “You’re getting near-high-nickel range at LFP-level cost.”
That’s a key distinction. Engineers working with GM and LG Energy Solution have developed a prismatic LMR cell with 33% higher energy density than today’s best LFP cells, without increasing the cost. “That’s not just a chemistry breakthrough, it’s a packaging and performance breakthrough,” Kelty added.
For context, a high-nickel pack might deliver over 490 miles of range. An LFP version of the same pack could reach around 350 miles, saving over $6,000 in battery costs. With LMR, GM says the range exceeds 400 miles, while still achieving substantial cost savings over high-nickel systems.
However, rather than displacing NMC or LFP, LMR adds a third major option to the portfolio. Kelty maintained that it’s well-suited for drivers who expect a longer range than LFP can provide but do not require the full capability or cost structure of high-nickel NMC. Each chemistry addresses a different segment of the EV market, and the goal is alignment, not replacement.
GM aims to be the first automaker to deploy LMR prismatic batteries in EVs. Learn more here.
GM is continuing to invest heavily in battery research capabilities to advance chemistries for EVs. Case in point: the company has developed a state-of-the-art R&D campus in Warren, Michigan, dedicated to battery cell innovation. It includes advanced prototyping tools, pilot-scale production lines, and in-house test facilities for mechanical, chemical, and thermal analysis.
“We’re prototyping full-size 200 amp-hour cells today,” he said, “and our development center under construction will allow us to validate and refine next-generation designs faster than ever before.”
This hands-on cell development approach is giving the company a faster path to scale. Rather than relying entirely on external suppliers to translate lab discoveries into production formats, its engineers can design, build, and test large-format cells in-house. That capability shortens development cycles and reduces risk during scale-up.
Behind the scenes, GM is also investing heavily in domestic production capacity. With LG and Samsung, GM is expanding cell manufacturing in Ohio, Tennessee, and Indiana. A parallel initiative with POSCO and other partners is localizing the supply of cathode precursors and active materials.
A full-size prototype LMR battery cell. GM has prototyped approximately 300 full-size LMR cells as it worked with LG Energy Solution to crack the code on the chemistry. (Image: Steve Fecht)
Additional supply chain efforts are targeting separators, electrolytes, lithium, manganese, and graphite to increase North American content eightfold by 2028.
As the battery landscape expands, the technical challenge for engineers is not to select the best chemistry overall, but to match each one to the right system requirements.
In Kelty’s view, LFP, NMC, and LMR are complementary building blocks. The real advantage lies in being able to select among them with precision, optimizing for vehicle class, duty cycle, thermal load, and customer expectations without compromise.
With more than a dozen EVs in its portfolio, GM says it now tailors battery formats to the use case, such as using prismatic cells for packaging flexibility or pouch cells where volume is a priority. In a shifting battery landscape, one format won’t fit all.
Still, GM’s investment in LMR signals more than just a chemistry update. It reflects a broader shift toward mid-range affordability without compromising performance. “This is how we bridge the gap,” said Kelty. “Not just in chemistry, but in cost, supply chain, and manufacturing. The future of EVs is going to be built right here.”
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