General Motors on Wednesday signed a multi-year deal with Norway's Vianode to supply synthetic graphite anodes for electric vehicle batteries.
I the agreement starts in 2027when Vianode expects to start producing synthetic graphite at a new North American plant, to 2033, according to the companies. The materials will be used in battery cells produced by Ultium Cells LLC, a joint venture between GM and battery supplier LG Energy Solution.
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China controls 95% of global graphite supply, which has left Western automakers and governments scrambling to develop promising sources of the material, which is crucial for EV battery production, Reuters noted. China has also been designated by the federal government as a Foreign Company of Concern, meaning that vehicles with battery components sourced there are not eligible for tax credits.
Vianode is looking for its new plant “will be compatible with the IRA,” meaning that battery materials produced there must not interfere with the eligibility of the federal EV tax credit under current rules, defined by the Inflation Reduction Act, that specify the availability of essential minerals in North America. That means the tax liability is not killed by The incoming Trump administration.
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The plant will be located in the US or Canada, but the specific location has not been finalized, said Vianode CEO Burkhard Straube in an interview with Reuters. In its first planned phase, this plant is expected to produce 80,000 tons of synthetic graphite by 2030enough to supply 1.5 million EVs. Vianode claims its manufacturing process has a 90% smaller carbon footprint than conventional methods.
GM made two other significant changes to its battery systems last month. The car maker said it would happen sell its stake Ultium Cells LLC Michigan plant—one of three currently in operation—to LG, while also announcing plans to expand the technology partnership with that company to include cell startups. For now GM has based its EV hardware around cell cells, but CEO Mary Barra said in 2023 that the automaker was flexible with the battery format.