GM appoints former Tesla executive as V-P of battery unit

GENERAL Motors (GM) on Thursday (Feb 8) named former Tesla executive Kurt Kelty to the newly created role of vice-president of its battery unit.

Kelty led Tesla’s battery development team for 11 years and played a key role in setting up Tesla’s first Gigafactory, before joining silicon anode maker Sila Nanotechnologies.

The move comes as GM is working to boost battery manufacturing, to support its target of building capacity to produce one million electric vehicles (EV) in North America by 2025.

Reuters reported last year that a slow ramp-up of its three US battery plants could limit actual EV production.

The top-selling US automaker said last month it expects overall EV sales will rise this year to 10 per cent of the US market from 7 per cent in 2023.

GM also said it would launch plug-in hybrid vehicles in North America as hybrid sales have been rising. REUTERS