Ultium Cells, the US-based EV battery joint venture between South Korea’s LG Energy Solution (LGES) and US automaker General Motors (GM), has confirmed that it plans to restart production at its plant in Warren, Ohio, following a seven-month shutdown, according to local reports.
The company suspended production at the plant in January, laying off some 1,400 workers – including 850 temporarily, as the US automaker adjusted its product strategy in response to the recent changes in US policies, including the withdrawal of battery electric vehicle (BEV) purchase incentives worth up to US$7,500 per vehicle last September.
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The latest reports suggested that GM has agreed to resume production at the plant, after overhauling its North American electrified vehicle strategy, following a sharp decline in BEV sales in the US market following the policy change.
The Warren plant was Ultium Cells’ first battery plant, with production launched in 2022 to meet growing US EV demand under policies introduced by the country’s previous administration under former President Joe Biden. It has a production capacity of 35 gigawatt-hours of battery cells.
Ultium Cells has two battery plants in the US, with the second plant located in Spring Hill, Tennessee, which began production in 2024. The company recently announced that it had completed the partial conversion of the plant so it can produce both EV batteries and low-cost LFP batteries for energy storage systems.
A third plant, in Lansing, Michigan, with a production capacity of 50 gigawatt-hours, was bought out by LGES in 2025 for over US$2 billion.
Earlier this month, South Korean battery manufacturer Samsung SDI announced that it had taken full control of Synergy Cells, its US-based battery joint venture with GM, by acquiring the US automaker’s 49.99% stake.
