BATTERIES

General Motors and Element 25 Power Up the Electric Revolution

August 17, 2023

GM and Element 25 Limited have formed an agreement to boost EV production in North America by supplying up to 32,500 metric tons of manganese sulfate annually for over 1 million GM EVs.
GM is investing $85 million in Element 25 to support the construction of a new Louisiana facility producing battery-grade manganese sulfate from Australian raw materials.
The partnership aims to create a sustainable North American supply chain for EV battery materials, with Element 25 investing around $290 million in a facility.

General Motors Co. and Element 25 Limited have recently announced an agreement that’s set to rev up the production of EVs in North America. Element 25 will be supplying up to 32,500 metric tons of manganese sulfate annually to help build more than 1 million GM EVs here.

Manganese sulfate is a vital ingredient that’s key to powering up lithium-ion battery cathodes. Imagine it as the secret sauce that gives your EV’s battery the extra zing it needs.

A Green-Fueled Investment

In addition to receiving Element 25’s stores of manganese sulfate, GM is also investing $85 million in Element 25 to help fund the construction of a new facility in Louisiana. This facility, set to start work in 2025, will be churning out battery-grade manganese sulfate from raw material processed in Australia.

As Doug Parks, GM’s EVP of Global Product Development, Purchasing, and Supply Chain, puts it, “The facility E25 will build in Louisiana is significant because it’s expected [to] be the first plant in the United States to produce battery-grade manganese sulfate, a key component of cathode active material which helps improve EV battery cell cost.”

Element 25’s Managing Director, Justin Brown, emphasizes that the partnership isn’t just about racking up impressive numbers.

“E25 is working to be a leading source of high quality, vertically integrated, traceable and ESG-compliant battery material to the global electric vehicle industry and GM’s support does more than accelerate our expansion in the United States. Together, we are creating a resilient and sustainable North American supply chain that will help introduce millions of customers to the performance and environmental benefits of EVs.”

Element 25 is all set to invest approximately $290 million in the construction of a sprawling 230,000-square-foot facility. Site preparation is slated to kick off in the third quarter of 2023, and the grand opening is scheduled for 2025 and is expected to create around 200 permanent jobs.