General Motors has filed a patent application for unusually shaped battery cells designed to aid cooling.
Instead of the automaker’s rectangular shape current Ultium cellsthe patent application, first identified by Engine1, discusses Lego shapes that leave channels when cells are assembled into modules. These channels could be used for cooling, helping to extend battery life, GM claims in the application.
The idea appears to be that cold air will flow directly to a larger surface area compared to current GM Ultium modules, in which a cooling plate is placed beneath a solid mass of cells. A similar effect could be achieved with conventional-looking cells of varying length and thickness, GM says in the filing, by arranging them in an H-shape that incorporates cooling channels.
The downside would be the added complexity of manufacturing non-uniform cells, something GM may not want to take on given the production headaches the company has experienced with its current Ultium cells. Production of Ultium EVs slowed in 2023, causing GM to delay plans for additional electric truck capacity. Software problems also prevented deliveries of the Chevrolet Blazer EV on hold for months.
![Patent image of General Motors' Lego-like battery cell Patent image of General Motors' Lego-like battery cell](https://thegurumedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/general-motors-lego-like-battery-cell-patent-image_100922866_l.webp.webp)
Patent image of General Motors’ Lego-like battery cell
Some of the production problems were due to GM ignoring its own best practices, including installing automated assembly line equipment at its “Factory Zero” in Detroit without proper testing, according to a recent study. Bloomberg report. Executives told Bloomberg they believe the worst of these problems are over and are forecasting EV production of 200,000 to 300,000 vehicles this year, compared to 14,000 in 2023.
GM has several EV models waiting to be released, including the 2024 Chevy Equinox EV, a replacement for the Chevy Bolt EV, the first Buick EV for North America, and additional electric crossovers for Cadillac. It’s not yet known whether any of these models will end up using battery cells shaped like Lego sets.