GM hires battery expert, former Tesla leader

General Motors Co. has hired Kurt Kelty, a battery expert and former Tesla Inc. executive, as vice president of batteries, the automaker said Thursday.

In the newly created role, Kelty will report to GM President Mark Reuss.

Kelty is charged with developing a new end-to-end battery technology strategy, which will include the sourcing of raw materials, investment in new battery technologies and end-of-use opportunities.

His team is responsible for bringing together GM's battery development resources to quickly deliver profitable, lower-cost, higher-performing EVs to customers at scale.

“The foundation that GM has established coupled with Kurt’s exceptional battery expertise in leading battery chemistry development, establishing partnerships, building out supply chains and partnering closely with teams that have developed leading battery systems will help us achieve our electrification goals and position GM as a leader in EV technology,” Reuss said in a statement.

Kelty was most recently a vice president at battery materials company Sila, where he was responsible for sales, business development, battery cell manufacturing partnerships and battery engineering.

Before Sila, Kelty led the Tesla battery development team for 11 years. While there, he was responsible for the exchanges and negotiations with battery cell suppliers and early-stage battery cell developers.

khall@detroitnews.com

@bykaleahall