Charged EVs | GM hires EV superstar Kurt Kelty as Vice President of Batteries

It’s plain to anybody who follows the auto trade that there are pro-EV and anti-EV factions at each legacy automaker. For the final three a long time, the OEMs’ curiosity in EVs has flapped this fashion and that within the winds of quarterly earnings and political shifts.

Final fall, the “let’s wait awhile” contingent appeared to have the higher hand at GM and Ford, as the 2, smarting from the UAW strike, announced plans to push back their electrification timelines, setting off a spate of “EVs are lifeless” crowing within the widespread press. (“Not so quick,” say Car and Driver and NPR.)

This week it seems that the voltage degree at GM is on the way in which again up, as the corporate broadcasts the hiring of worldwide acknowledged battery skilled Kurt Kelty, within the newly created place of Vice President of Batteries, which can report on to GM President Mark Reuss.

If there’s one space during which GM and its buddies want to boost their video games, its battery know-how. All are scuffling with provide chain bottlenecks, and GM’s new fashions based mostly on the Ultium platform have had some teething pains, so to talk.

Kelty could possibly be simply the person to show issues round. He started working with lithium-ion batteries in 1993 at Panasonic, then led Tesla’s battery improvement crew for 11 years, taking part in a key function within the creation of Tesla’s first Gigafactory. His most up-to-date gig was as a VP at Sila, which has developed a novel silicon anode chemistry.

WATCH: In a recent Charged webinar, Kurt Kelty explains his work on Sila’s Titan Silicon as a drop-in replacement anode material

“Kelty can be charged with GM’s battery cell technique and a brand new end-to-end method,” says GM. “It will embrace the usage of uncooked supplies, analysis, growing and investing in new know-how, commercialization of cells and packs, and end-of-life alternatives.”

“The inspiration that GM has established coupled with Kurt’s distinctive battery experience in main battery chemistry improvement, establishing partnerships, constructing out provide chains and partnering carefully with groups which have developed main battery techniques will assist us obtain our electrification targets and place GM as a frontrunner in EV know-how,” stated Mark Reuss.

“For greater than 30 years, I’ve been centered on serving to develop and commercialize battery applied sciences that may support within the transition to electrical transportation. Becoming a member of GM creates an excellent larger alternative to assist the trade make the swap and have a long-lasting affect on our planet,” stated Kelty.

Supply: GM



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