General Motors GM-N on Thursday named former Tesla Inc executive Kurt Kelty to the newly created role of vice president of its battery unit.
Kelty led Tesla’s TSLA-Q battery development team for 11 years and played a key role in setting up Tesla’s first Gigafactory, before joining silicon anode maker Sila Nanotechnologies.
The move comes as GM is working to boost battery manufacturing to support its target of building capacity to produce 1 million electric vehicles in North America by 2025.
Reuters reported last year that a slow ramp-up of its three U.S. battery plants could limit actual EV production.
The top-selling U.S. automaker said last month it expects overall EV sales will rise this year to 10 per cent of the U.S. market from 7 per cent in 2023.
GM also said it will launch plug-in hybrid vehicles in North America as hybrid sales have been rising.