LG Energy Shifts 5 of 8 North American Plants to Storage Batteries as AI Data Center Demand Booms
Updated
Updated · Jalopnik · Aug 20
LG Energy Shifts 5 of 8 North American Plants to Storage Batteries as AI Data Center Demand Booms
3 articles · Updated · Jalopnik · Aug 20
Summary
Five of LG Energy Solution’s eight North American factories will be making energy-storage batteries by the end of 2026, marking a sharp turn away from EV cells.
AI data center buildouts are driving unexpected demand for large battery cells, LG’s North America president Robert Lee said at the company’s Lansing, Michigan, plant opening.
That pivot follows years of heavy U.S. battery investment by automakers and suppliers that expected an EV boom which has not materialized.
LG, which says it is North America’s largest battery maker by cell output, is recasting its regional factory network around storage as battery makers chase faster-growing power-demand markets.
As battery production shifts away from cars to power massive data centers, could the exploding energy demands of AI derail the electric vehicle revolution?
Will Western car brands lose their engineering independence as they increasingly rely on China's Geely for faster and cheaper vehicle development?
Are automakers using advanced AI assistants as a Trojan horse to force drivers into endless monthly subscriptions for basic vehicle features?