Key General Motors Battery Executive Resigns

Mei Cai, who led the team that developed the next-generation battery powering General Motors’ electric vehicles, has resigned, the company confirmed Thursday. The move comes five months after GM hired Kurt Kelty, a Tesla veteran, to run its battery development efforts as vice president of battery.

The China-born Cai, a 24-year GM veteran and director of the company’s battery cell systems research, led the team that in a joint venture with South Korea’s LG Energy Solution produced the chemistry behind the Ultium battery, the propulsion system the carmaker is installing in all its new EVs. She will leave the company Aug. 1, a company spokesperson said.