GM and Ford bet on different EV batteries and factories
Both automakers are copying Tesla and Rivian software, yet GM is betting on its own lab-made cells while Ford licenses chemistry and rebuilds a factory.
By
Ethan Kowalczyk
In brief
- GM’s Gen 4 EVs will use LMR batteries, built in volume from 2028 in Spring Hill, Tennessee.
- GM and Ford both plan a single central computer, over-the-air updates and bidirectional charging.
- Ford licenses LFP cell technology from CATL and starts with a mid-size pickup, the Fathom.
- GM gave no dates, prices, ranges or models for Gen 4 vehicles.
The next wave of electric vehicles from General Motors and Ford will lean on the playbook of Tesla and Rivian, but the two Detroit companies are making different choices about batteries, pickups and factories. That is the picture Car and Driver draws after GM’s technology presentation in New York City.
GM lays out Gen 4
GM president Mark Reuss spoke at GM Forward, a press event in New York where the company set out its technology road map. He framed the effort as long-term. In his words, “GM is committed to EVs for the long term. One in four cars sold around the world is an EV, and that number is only rising.” He added: “When the U.S. market is ready for EVs in large numbers, we’ll be there.”
The new Gen 4 EV architecture is meant to cover several segments, including small and medium crossovers. GM declined to give dates, prices, ranges or models, so none of those details exist yet for buyers to weigh.
How GM says it will cut cost
Gen 4 vehicles will sit on a new skateboard platform powered by LMR (Lithium Manganese Rich) batteries. Volume production is planned from 2028 at the Ultium Cells plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee. GM says LMR cells approach the energy density of its current NMCA cells while costing closer to much cheaper LFP cells. They will debut in the current full-size Chevrolet and GMC electric trucks.
Zach Walker, GM’s director of global EV architecture, said the chemistry is showing more high-end capability than projected, so NMCA cells may not be needed for the most demanding uses. No decision has been made.
Walker supplied those Gen 4 targets. Together, he said, they mean the same range needs roughly 20 percent less battery capacity. GM also says it invested $900 million in two facilities at its Warren Tech Center, where engineers prototype new cells in small batches and test them on real production equipment at low volume.
What both companies share
Both are adopting technology already launched by Tesla and Rivian:
- Software-defined architecture. One central computing unit replaces dozens of scattered processors, and updates arrive over the air to add features, improve performance and address recalls.
- Central compute power. GM’s processor will be 40 times more powerful than today’s equivalents, and the electrical design will also reach future high-volume gas models.
- Bidirectional charging. Vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid capability will be built into future EVs from both companies.
Where Ford and GM split
| Area | Ford | GM |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Dedicated Universal EV (UEV) platform, with up to five more vehicles after the mid-size Fathom pickup | Gen 4 skateboard, with no confirmed models |
| Cells | Low-cost LFP cells made in Marshall, Michigan, using CATL-licensed technology | LMR chemistry developed in its own labs |
| Pickups | The 2028 Fathom becomes its fourth pickup after the F-series, Ranger and Maverick | No compact pickup; EV trucks are full-size, over four tons, with 300-plus miles of range |
Asked whether Gen 4 could support every vehicle size, Walker did not commit, suggesting that one platform for small SUVs and full-size trucks would be “crazy difficult.” Car and Driver’s text gives the Fathom’s model year inconsistently, as 2027 and 2028.
Building the vehicles differently
Ford gutted and rebuilt its Louisville, Kentucky, plant for three parallel assembly streams instead of one continuous line. A rolling platform holding the battery and powertrain, a front end and a rear are built at the same time and joined at the end. Ford says the method is faster, needs far fewer steps and costs less.
GM said little about manufacturing. Walker said the software-defined architecture is the biggest driver of assembly changes, because electrical units and the central computer must go in early so systems can be tested during assembly. Car and Driver notes GM does not appear to be reinventing mass production from scratch the way Ford is. For context on the trucks involved, see the top truck trends overview.
Photo: Kindel Media / Pexels
