Ultium Cells to furlough 700 workers at Spring Hill plant amid production pause

Ultium Cells will furlough about 700 employees at its Spring Hill, Tennessee, plant as the company prepares for a temporary pause in production next year, according to a report by The Tennessean citing Reuters. The battery assembly facility, a joint venture between General Motors and LG Energy Solution, is set to halt operations in January 2026 through mid-year. The move is part of a larger adjustment by GM to address slower electric vehicle demand and evolving regulations. Ultium Cells’ plant in Warren, Ohio, will undergo a similar shutdown, furloughing 850 workers and permanently laying off 550, Reuters reported. The decision follows a July announcement marking a new phase in the $2.3 billion partnership between GM and LG Energy Solution to produce low-cost lithium iron phosphate battery cells. Despite strong recent earnings, GM has continued to reduce its workforce. The Detroit Free Press reported the automaker has cut about 500 employees across its Michigan Technical Center and Georgia IT Innovation Center as part of its annual review process. In September, GM also furloughed roughly half of its 1,400 shift workers at the Spring Hill vehicle assembly plant as it scaled back electric vehicle production. The facility scheduled downtime in October, over Thanksgiving, and throughout December. Reports earlier this fall indicated that following a Homeland Security immigration raid at LG Energy Solution’s Georgia battery plant with Hyundai Motor, several Korean workers employed at the Spring Hill Ultium Cells site fled the country.