As General Motors aims to be a leader in the electric vehicle market, a new patent for EV battery cells shows it might be shaking up production.
First reported by Motor 1, General Motors applied for a patent for an oddly shaped EV battery design. Normally, electric vehicle batteries are either rectangular or cylindrical. However, GM's patent suggests exploration of an "L" and "C" shape battery intended to improve the cooling process, with gaps between the cells to extend battery life.
While companies like Lucid, Rivian, and Tesla employ cylindrical cells, according to Green Car Reports, GM chose large-format pouch cells because they were easier to make, and it allowed the company to ramp up electric vehicle production.
"We want to put everyone in an EV, and we have what it takes to do it," CEO Mary Barra said in an event in 2020, per Green Car Reports.
However, a recent report from Bloomberg News, published by the Financial Times, suggests that GM has fallen behind its goals.
"GM bypassed its own best practices to rush the battery packs into production," the report reads. GM installed "new fully automated battery assembly lines right away rather than testing them elsewhere first."
While GM said it was flexible on battery cells last year, per Green Car Reports, the patent suggests the company aims for new ways to ramp up production. Autoweek reported GM hopes to build 200,000 to 300,000 EVs this year.
Improved production of EV battery cells could usher in more widespread adoption of electric vehicles, which don't release planet-warming pollution from their tailpipes like gas-powered cars. EVs also save drivers around $1,500 annually on gas and maintenance.
Many companies have made strides in EV battery production. SK On Co. created a "winter-proof" battery cell for colder climates. Panasonic, which produces about 10% of the world's EV batteries, including for Tesla, also continues to improve its battery cells.
The Inflation Reduction Act has helped the U.S. lead the way in battery cell production. Ultium Cells — a collaboration between GM and LG Energy Solution — received a $2.5 billion loan in Dec. 2022 from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for battery cell production.
Newer types of battery cells can benefit the industry, but many have questioned the efficiency of this specific patent.
"GM is so far behind on [EV] tech compared to BYD and Tesla," one person wrote on the Bloomberg report published by the Financial Times.
Others appeared to poke fun at the shape of the cell.
"Hey, it's Tetris Packs!" commented one reader of Green Car Reports.
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