Ultium Cells Restarts Ohio Battery Plant After Seven-Month Shutdown

Ultium Cells, a joint venture between General Motors and LG Energy Solution, will restart production of electric vehicle battery cells at its facility in Warren, Ohio, next week. The plant had been idled since January 2026 due to declining consumer demand for electric vehicles, which the company attributed to the cancellation of a $7,500 federal tax credit.

The restart follows a seven-month hiatus and will employ 1,400 workers, including a majority of those previously laid off. The facility specializes in large-format Nickel Cobalt Manganese Aluminum (NCMA) pouch cells used in most General Motors electric vehicles.

This move comes amid broader strategic shifts in battery operations. General Motors previously idled an EV plant in Detroit, impacting production of the Cadillac Escalade IQ and GMC Hummer and Sierra EVs. Additionally, Samsung SDI purchased General Motors' stake in a joint venture for an under-construction plant in Indiana, which will be converted to manufacture energy storage system cells. A separate Tennessee plant is also transitioning to energy storage system battery production.