GM preps third Ultium EV battery plant

General Motors started building the third Ultium EV battery plant at its passenger-vehicle joint venture with SAIC Motor Corp. on Wednesday, aiming to accelerate the rollout of a new-generation of full electric vehicles. 

The new Ultium plant, under construction at its production site in the east China port city of Yantai, will launch output in the first half of 2025, SAIC-GM said, without providing further details on the factory. 

SAIC-GM operates two Ultium plants at production sites in Shanghai and Wuhan in central China. 

Since June 2022, the company has launched sales of three Ultium-based EVs – the Cadillac Lyriq crossover, the Buick Electra E5 crossover and the Buick Electra E4 Coupe. 

Cadillac’s second Ultium product goes on sale later this year, SAIC-GM said, without divulging details about the vehicle. 

It plans to roll out ten China-built Ultium-based EV models accumulatively by 2025, GM added.