Global Energy Storage – Battery Weekly 26 October

Battery Weekly 26 October rounds up global battery and energy storage news. North America: GM will close its Brownstown battery assembly plant near Detroit and adopt lithium-manganese-rich (LMR) prismatic cells in its fourth-generation EV platform, cutting vehicle weight by 15%, battery capacity by 20% and wiring by 30% while improving efficiency by 20%, with LMR offering roughly 33% higher energy density than LFP; Samsung SDI is converting lines at its Indiana StarPlus plant to LFP ESS cells, with Korean equipment orders placed. Asia: CATL launched a dual-battery system for heavy-duty electric trucks and expanded its Choco swap ecosystem (2,520 stations built, targeting 30,000); Nio's Firefly added a 60 kWh pack, lifting CLTC range to 560 km. Europe: September registrations rose 10% YoY with BEV/PHEV at a 43% share;