In addition to Michigan, GM also has battery labs in Shanghai, China and Mainz-Kastel, Germany.
General Motors has nearly tripled the size of its Global Battery Systems Laboratory at its Technical Center in Warren, Michigan with the new addition of 50,000 square feet to bring it to 85,000 in total. The expansion increases the number of battery-pack test channels from 64 to 112 and cell-level test channels from 96 to 120. It’s GM aim to develop a $30,000 EV with a range of 200 miles, a goal that is not in sight yet.
GM claims that this is now the largest battery lab in North America owned and operated by a major auto manufacturer.
The lab has been responsible for testing and validating both battery cells and packs for all of GM’s vehicle electrification systems, including the battery systems for the Chevrolet Volt, Cadillac ELR, Chevrolet Spark EV and GM’s e-Assist light electrification system.
“In the past four years, the competitive landscape in the electrification space has grown exponentially. This has required us to raise our game and draw a new line in the sand,” said Doug Parks, GM vice president, global product programs.
The additional capabilities of the lab expansion include:
- Dedicated equipment for future battery development such as charger development and testing, cord set testing and competitive benchmarking;
- Building prototype battery packs for vehicle development programs;
- The ability to act as the hub for validation and testing of all battery systems designed for use in upcoming GM vehicles around the world.
Workers will validate and test updates to existing chemistries and system designs to make the most of performance and reduce cost. For example, updates were made to the battery system in 2013 Chevrolet Volt that added three miles of EV range.
In addition to the lab in Michigan, GM also operates battery labs in Shanghai, China and Mainz-Kastel, Germany for testing and validation of battery cells, packs, and advanced battery system development. Technicians at the China, Germany and Michigan labs work collectively to test battery systems around the clock to reduce validation time.
