GM pronounces $60m funding in battery supplies agency Mitra Chem

The Silicon Valley-based firm’s mission is to develop and commercialise iron-based cathode supplies for lithium-ion batteries, to drive mass-market electrification for EVs and vitality storage. Mitra Chem is the primary lithium-ion battery supplies producer targeted on shortening the lab-to-production timeline by over 90%, marking it out as a viable choice for funding by the OEM.  

The Sequence B funding falls according to GM’s electrification plan and makes an attempt to safe extra capability within the battery provide chain and processing capability for key parts. Mitra Chem’s AI-powered platform and superior analysis and improvement facility in Mountain View, California has the technological potential to speed up GM’s goal to make EV batteries extra inexpensive. 

Jeff Morrison, world buying chief at GM, just lately informed Automotive Logistics that the OEM was trying to create and strengthen partnerships with suppliers throughout chipmakers, battery supplies and logistics suppliers, to create extra secure and resilient provide chain operations. GM has additionally invested in battery manufacturing and significant supplies, partnering with corporations “to safe cathodes, develop materials processing capability and set up lithium mines within the US,” whereas additionally searching for to develop “visibility and connectivity with upstream suppliers by means of provide chain mapping and superior analytics”. 

Mitra Chem and GM will work collectively to develop “superior iron-based cathode energetic supplies […] to energy inexpensive and accessible EV batteries appropriate with GM’s EV propulsion structure, the Ultium Platform”.

Gil Golan, GM vice chairman, Expertise Acceleration and Commercialisation commented: “This can be a strategic funding that may additional assist reinforce GM’s efforts in EV batteries, speed up our work on inexpensive battery chemistries like LMFP and assist our efforts to construct a US-focused battery provide chain. 

“GM is accelerating bigger investments in crucial subdomains of battery know-how, like cell chemistry, parts and superior cell manufacturing processes. Mitra Chem’s labs, strategies and expertise will match effectively with our personal R&D group’s work.” 

Vivas Kumar, CEO and co-founder, Mitra Chem mentioned: “GM’s funding in Mitra Chem is not going to solely assist us develop inexpensive battery chemistries to be used in GM automobiles, but in addition will gas our mission to develop, deploy and commercialise U.S. made, iron-based cathode supplies that may energy EVs, grid-scale electrified vitality storage and past.”

Shortages in key EV battery supplies comparable to Nickel and Cobalt have brought on bottlenecks throughout EV provide chains and manufacturing processes which have adversely impacted the EV market throughout the board. GM just lately admitted that it continues to face delays within the ramp up of its EV fashions following automation provide points for its battery module manufacturing. 

Most just lately, GM’s luxurious SUV Cadillac Lyriq mannequin was mentioned to be the toughest hit, however its Brightdrop vans are additionally impacted by the manufacturing points – each of which use GM’s new Ultium battery know-how.