Kurt Kelly.
General Motors (NYSE: GM) said today that it has hired Kurt Kelty, a battery expert and former Tesla executive, to be vice president of Batteries, reporting to GM President Mark Reuss. Kelty in a new position at GM will be charged with GM’s battery cell strategy and what it is calling an “end-to-end approach.” This will include the use of raw materials, research, developing and investing in new technology, commercialization of cells and packs, and end of life opportunities.
“The foundation that GM has established coupled with Kurt’s exceptional battery expertise in leading battery chemistry development, establishing partnerships, building out supply chains and partnering closely with teams that have developed leading battery systems will help us achieve our electrification goals and position GM as a leader in EV technology,” said Reuss.
As in all successful businesses GM’s EV and Global Warming strategy hasn’t changed, AutoInformed observes. GM has adjusted its tactics. GM has and will go forward with a strong and profitable internal combustion engine vehicle business. It is also forecasting growth there. Electric vehicles ran across a bumpy road last year, and GM wasn’t unique in the industry. However, this and subsequent years are going to be an important. GM said last year that by mid-year 2024 or sooner EV battery and supply constraints will evaporate. The GM EV portfolio is getting stronger. The progress in the so-called software defined vehicle continues.
Kelty was a vice president at Sila, where he was responsible for sales, business development, battery cell manufacturing partnerships and battery engineering involved in the adoption of Sila’s silicon anode material in EVs requiring high energy density and fast charge.
Prior to Sila, Kelty led the Tesla battery development team for 11 years. At Tesla he was responsible for the technical exchanges and commercial negotiations with battery cell suppliers and early-stage battery cell developers. He was involved in the creation of Tesla’s first Gigafactory, the largest lithium-ion battery and EV component factory in the world. He began his work in lithium-ion batteries in 1993, working for Panasonic, where he created alliances and joint development programs to advance lithium-ion rechargeable batteries for portable applications.
Kelty’s team will be responsible for a decisive piece of GM’s electrification strategy, bringing together the company’s already strong battery development resources with manufacturing expertise to more quickly deliver profitable, lower-cost, higher performing electric vehicles to customers in large numbers.
“For more than 30 years, I’ve been focused on helping develop and commercialize battery technologies that will aid in the transition to electric transportation. Joining GM creates an even bigger opportunity to help the industry make the switch and have a lasting impact on our planet,” said Kelty.
AutoInformed on
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, publisher (kzhw@aol.com), is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
Zino is at home on test tracks, knows his way around U.S. Congressional hearing rooms, auto company headquarters, plant floors, as well as industry research and development labs where the real mobility work is done. He can quote from court decisions, refer to instrumented road tests, analyze financial results, and profile executive personalities and corporate cultures.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
GM Creates New VP of Batteries Position
Kurt Kelly.
General Motors (NYSE: GM) said today that it has hired Kurt Kelty, a battery expert and former Tesla executive, to be vice president of Batteries, reporting to GM President Mark Reuss. Kelty in a new position at GM will be charged with GM’s battery cell strategy and what it is calling an “end-to-end approach.” This will include the use of raw materials, research, developing and investing in new technology, commercialization of cells and packs, and end of life opportunities.
“The foundation that GM has established coupled with Kurt’s exceptional battery expertise in leading battery chemistry development, establishing partnerships, building out supply chains and partnering closely with teams that have developed leading battery systems will help us achieve our electrification goals and position GM as a leader in EV technology,” said Reuss.
As in all successful businesses GM’s EV and Global Warming strategy hasn’t changed, AutoInformed observes. GM has adjusted its tactics. GM has and will go forward with a strong and profitable internal combustion engine vehicle business. It is also forecasting growth there. Electric vehicles ran across a bumpy road last year, and GM wasn’t unique in the industry. However, this and subsequent years are going to be an important. GM said last year that by mid-year 2024 or sooner EV battery and supply constraints will evaporate. The GM EV portfolio is getting stronger. The progress in the so-called software defined vehicle continues.
Kelty was a vice president at Sila, where he was responsible for sales, business development, battery cell manufacturing partnerships and battery engineering involved in the adoption of Sila’s silicon anode material in EVs requiring high energy density and fast charge.
Prior to Sila, Kelty led the Tesla battery development team for 11 years. At Tesla he was responsible for the technical exchanges and commercial negotiations with battery cell suppliers and early-stage battery cell developers. He was involved in the creation of Tesla’s first Gigafactory, the largest lithium-ion battery and EV component factory in the world. He began his work in lithium-ion batteries in 1993, working for Panasonic, where he created alliances and joint development programs to advance lithium-ion rechargeable batteries for portable applications.
Kelty’s team will be responsible for a decisive piece of GM’s electrification strategy, bringing together the company’s already strong battery development resources with manufacturing expertise to more quickly deliver profitable, lower-cost, higher performing electric vehicles to customers in large numbers.
“For more than 30 years, I’ve been focused on helping develop and commercialize battery technologies that will aid in the transition to electric transportation. Joining GM creates an even bigger opportunity to help the industry make the switch and have a lasting impact on our planet,” said Kelty.
AutoInformed on
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, publisher (kzhw@aol.com), is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. Zino is at home on test tracks, knows his way around U.S. Congressional hearing rooms, auto company headquarters, plant floors, as well as industry research and development labs where the real mobility work is done. He can quote from court decisions, refer to instrumented road tests, analyze financial results, and profile executive personalities and corporate cultures. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.