Car manufacturer General Motors has introduced a new platform for battery electric vehicles. It integrates a modular drive system and GM's Ultium batteries.
The new, flexible E-platform with GM's Ultium batteries
Steve Fecht / General Motors
The American car manufacturer General Motors (GM) has introduced a new platform for electric vehicles. It is equipped with a modular drive system and the company's Ultium batteries. "What we have done is build a multi-brand, multi-segment EV strategy with economies of scale that rival our full-size truck business with much less complexity and even more flexibility," says Mary Barra, GM Chairman and CEO.
The new electric vehicle platform is intended to lead to a larger range of passenger cars, off-road vehicles, pick-ups, SUVs and crossover models, as well as commercial vehicles. General Motors is currently planning 19 different configurations for battery and drive units. The capacity of the Ultium batteries, which were developed with LG Chem, ranges from 50 to 200 kilowatt hours. According to estimates from GM, this enables a range of 640 kilometres and over. The electric vehicle can go from zero to 100 km/h in about three seconds.
New driver assistance system "Super Cruise" set for 2022
The motors developed in-house are designed for front, rear, all-wheel and high-performance all-wheel drive applications. While 400-volt battery packs with a fast charging capacity of 200 kilowatts are used in the passenger car segment, the truck platform has 800-volt battery packs and 350 kilowatts of charging capacity.
GM brands Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC and Buick want to bring new electric vehicles on the US market later this year. For example, the next thing planned is a new version of the Bolt EV. At the end of 2021, the Bolt EUV will be presented, which is the first vehicle to be equipped with the "Super Cruise" driver assistance system, and will also enable assisted driving without the need to touch the steering wheel.