Full Name
Kurt Kelty
Job Title
Vice President, Battery, Propulsion, and Sustainability
Company
General Motors
Speaker Bio
Kurt Kelty serves at GM’s Vice President of Battery, Propulsion, and Sustainability. Appointed to his role in February 2024, Kelty leads GM’s comprehensive battery technology strategy and lifecycle approach, encompassing raw material sourcing, research and development (R&D), battery cell and pack commercialization, and sustainability initiatives including end-of-life solutions.
Kelty is a globally recognized battery expert with more than 30 years of experience in energy storage technology spanning multiple sectors, from consumer electronics to electric vehicles. This includes work experience across the battery value chain as a material supplier, cell-maker, and end-user.
Kelty began his career in lithium-ion batteries in 1993 with Panasonic, where he created joint development programs to advance rechargeable lithium-ion batteries for portable applications. While at Panasonic, he founded and led its battery research lab in Silicon Valley and established R&D alliances between Panasonic and other U.S. battery and fuel cell developers.
Kelty subsequently joined Tesla in 2006 where he led the company’s battery cell development team for 11 years. At Tesla, he was responsible for technical exchanges and commercial negotiations with battery cell suppliers and early-stage battery cell developers. Kelty was instrumental in the creation of Tesla’s first Gigafactory, the largest lithium-ion battery and EV component factory in the world.
Most recently, as vice president at Sila, Kelty led the commercialization of advanced silicon anode materials, focusing on high-energy density and fast-charging applications for electric vehicles.
Kelty is a graduate of Swarthmore College with a bachelor’s degree in biology and a graduate of Stanford University, where he earned his Master of Science through Stanford Business School’s Sloan Program. Kelty is the author of 16 patents in the U.S. and Japan.
In addition to his professional accomplishments, Kelty has served as a Board Member for Auto Motive Power (acquired by Ford) and as an Advisory Board Member for BP and other energy-focused organizations.
Kelty is a globally recognized battery expert with more than 30 years of experience in energy storage technology spanning multiple sectors, from consumer electronics to electric vehicles. This includes work experience across the battery value chain as a material supplier, cell-maker, and end-user.
Kelty began his career in lithium-ion batteries in 1993 with Panasonic, where he created joint development programs to advance rechargeable lithium-ion batteries for portable applications. While at Panasonic, he founded and led its battery research lab in Silicon Valley and established R&D alliances between Panasonic and other U.S. battery and fuel cell developers.
Kelty subsequently joined Tesla in 2006 where he led the company’s battery cell development team for 11 years. At Tesla, he was responsible for technical exchanges and commercial negotiations with battery cell suppliers and early-stage battery cell developers. Kelty was instrumental in the creation of Tesla’s first Gigafactory, the largest lithium-ion battery and EV component factory in the world.
Most recently, as vice president at Sila, Kelty led the commercialization of advanced silicon anode materials, focusing on high-energy density and fast-charging applications for electric vehicles.
Kelty is a graduate of Swarthmore College with a bachelor’s degree in biology and a graduate of Stanford University, where he earned his Master of Science through Stanford Business School’s Sloan Program. Kelty is the author of 16 patents in the U.S. and Japan.
In addition to his professional accomplishments, Kelty has served as a Board Member for Auto Motive Power (acquired by Ford) and as an Advisory Board Member for BP and other energy-focused organizations.
Speaking At
