10/08/2025 5:15 pm-6:15 pm ET
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Fall Colloquium: Driving American battery technology forward
Please join the MIT Energy Initiative as we welcome Kurt Kelty, vice president of battery, propulsion, & sustainability at General Motors. He will present the first seminar of MITEI Presents: Advancing the Energy Transition speaker series for the fall 2025 semester.
From the early days of powering handheld electronics to today’s electric trucks getting more than 400 miles of range, battery innovation has transformed mobility and energy systems. General Motors (GM) is advancing next-generation technologies and driving battery innovation from the lab to commercialization. Beyond vehicles, GM is extending its technology leadership into applications such as grid-scale energy storage, helping to build a more resilient and circular energy ecosystem. These efforts are not just engineering milestones—they represent a systemic approach to making batteries more efficient, affordable, and competitive at scale. This session will explore how GM’s electrification powerhouse is positioning it and U.S. industry for global leadership in battery technology.
This event is for the MIT Community. Please register with an MIT.edu email address.
About the speaker
Kurt Kelty serves at GM’s vice president of battery, propulsion, & sustainability. Appointed to his role in February 2024, Kelty leads GM’s comprehensive propulsion technology and battery innovation strategy and life cycle approach, encompassing raw material sourcing, research and development (R&D), battery cell and pack commercialization, and sustainability initiatives including end-of-life solutions. Additionally, Kelty oversees GM’s global sustainability strategy, focusing on environmental responsibility, social impact, and ethical business practices.
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.
About the MITEI Presents: Advancing the Energy Transition speaker series
We are in the midst of a major global shift in the types of energy we use and the ways we use them. We know that if we are to stabilize the planet’s climate and eliminate harmful emissions, we must transform our energy systems. This speaker series will connect you with energy experts and leaders who are actively working on the scientific, technological, and policy solutions we urgently need, and will explore how we must work together to accelerate this complicated process.
Accessibility information
MIT is committed to providing an environment that is accessible to individuals with disabilities. If you need a disability related accommodation to attend or have other questions, please contact us at miteievents@mit.edu.