General Motors (GM) has appointed Kurt Kelty, a battery expert and former Tesla executive, as vice president of batteries.

Reporting to GM president Mark Reuss, Kelty will be at the forefront of GM’s battery cell strategy and implement an end-to-end approach covering raw materials, research, technology development, commercialization and recycling.

His team will play a role in the acceleration of GM’s electrification strategy, leveraging the company’s existing resources and industry expertise to deliver cost-effective, high-performance electric vehicles at scale.

Previously, Kelty served as vice president at Sila and led Tesla’s battery development team for over a decade. At Tesla, Kelty was involved in establishing the company’s Gigafactory, which is the world’s largest lithium-ion battery and EV component factory, Tesla states.

Kelty said, “For more than 30 years, I’ve been focused on helping develop and commercialize battery technologies that will aid in the transition to electric transportation. Joining GM creates an even bigger opportunity to help the industry make the switch and have a lasting impact on our planet.”