The LG Energy Solution plant in Queen Creek, Arizona, is on schedule to start series production of large round cells with a diameter of 46 millimetres in the first half of 2026. The main customer for these cells is likely to be Tesla. However, Rivian is also a confirmed buyer.
Construction work on the US plant began in November 2023 and is scheduled for completion at the end of 2025. According to Julia Wheatley, the schedule remains unchanged. The mayor of Queen Creek told Korea JoongAng Daily on the sidelines of InterBattery 2025 as follows: “The construction of the battery plant is well on track, with production set to start in the spring of 2026.”
The main customer for the large 46 cells is likely to be Tesla. LG Energy Solution has also signed an agreement with Rivian, which also involves cylindrical 4695 battery cells from Queen Creek. Rivian intends to install these in its future R2 vehicles.
Queen Creek is located in the San Tan Valley in Arizona. And in this valley, the Korean company is building two production plants in one complex. The first plant, called LG Energy Solution Arizona, will produce the aforementioned 46 mm round cells for the automotive industry. LGES already produces these cells at its Ochang plant in South Korea.
The second plant is called LG Energy Solution Arizona ESS and will produce pouch cells with LFP cell chemistry, which are used for stationary energy storage systems. However, LGES suspended the construction of this plant in June 2024, citing the need to efficiently and flexibly adjust the pace of planned investment execution. However, the project will not be scrapped, says Korea JoongAng Daily, citing a senior executive at the company.
According to earlier information, both parts of the factory will have a combined annual capacity of 53 GWh when fully expanded, of which 36 GWh is planned for round cells for electric cars and the remaining 17 GWh for LFP pouch cells for use in stationary energy storage systems.
When the factory was announced in 2022, production of the smaller 2170 round cells was still planned. The project was later expanded to include LFP production before the decision was officially made in October 2023 to produce 46 instead of the 2170 round cells.
