GM News: GM All-Electric Future Starts with All-New EV Motors Reveal!

[G. David Felt]

Today GM president Mark Reuss revealed the trio of electric motors that will power the Ultium-based EVs and the assumption that the e-crate Performance plug n drive that GM has talked about based on Ultium.

Designed and calibrated in-house by GM to ensure the highest level of performance we get the following Ultium Drive motors.

62 kW or 83 HP all-wheel drive assist motor

180 kW or 241 HP front-drive motor

255 kW or 342 HP rear and or front-drive motor

The three motors, 62 kW, 180 kW, and 255 kW motors are built as a scalable family, sharing design principles as well as similar tooling and manufacturing strategies. This allows for a mix n match approach allowing GM to offer unique branding solutions that offer excellent torque and power density across a wide spectrum of vehicles from performance cars to work trucks.

This trio of motor options is what allows Hummer by GMC to use three of the 255 kW motors to produce the 1,000 HP.

GM President Reuss stated, "Twenty years of electric drive system development and more than 100 years of high-volume vehicle engineering are helping GM pivot quickly from conventional vehicles to EVs”. Reuss believes this vertical integration of both hardware and software allows GM to have full control over their own destiny and is a significant competitive advantage.

GM is looking to reduce pressure on the planet as the 180 and 255 kW motors are permanent magnet design which minimizes reliance on heavy rare earth materials. The 62 kW unit is an induction motor.

Ultium Drive software development starts at the GM's Global Technical Center in Warren Michigan, Global Propulsion Systems in Pontiac, Michigan, and Milford Proving Ground where a team of nearly 11,000 team members work on the Ultium Drive software development. This number is projected to be a growth area for GM as it serves as a critical pillar of GM's all-electric Future vision. Ultium Drive Software is key to serving the propulsion needs of the vehicle portfolio of GM's future.

Computer-assisted and virtual engineering is helping to move product development that would take four plus years and reduce it to a quick, safe and cost-effective manner in delivering new auto's to market in only a couple years. A.I. and machine learning  is helping to determine the most efficient ways to distribute torque in a three-motor system like the GMC Hummer EV, allowing extreme off-road capable vehicles to also drive smoothly and comfortably on surface streets.

Faster go-to-market times is being achieved by the Ultium Drive Software which was originally designed allowing for reuse in many applications of future EV products.

GM's Ultium Drive Unit

The brains behind every Ultium powered auto is this Ultium Drive unit that can work with any combination of Ultium drives. This includes the software of key power electronic components such as the power inverter module, which converts DC voltage from battery to AC voltage to power the motors. To quote GM's press release: The HUMMER EV’s 0-60 mph acceleration in a GM-estimated approximately three seconds – Watts to Freedom mode² –is largely due to GM’s electric drive software expertise in addition to its key competencies in motor controls, power electronics, motor design and development.  

With GM's current EVs, that being the Chevrolet BOLT, BOLT EUV and past electric autos such as the VOLT, the inverter, power electronics, accessory power module, onboard charging module all resided outside in individual units adding to complexity and cost. The Ultium Drive Unit will have all this integrated reducing cost and manufacturing complexity leading to a planned higher reliability.

As some might say, simplicity is the answer to reliability thus GM's move to reduced complexity.

GM's equivalent electric parts of today in an Ultium design will have 50% less mass and volume while giving 25% more capability.

GM's All-New EV motors and integrated power electronics, contained within its Ultium Drive Units Debut on the 2022 GMC Hummer Pickup and 2023 GMC Hummer SUV with the Truck production and sales starting later in 2021.

Production of GMC Hummer Ultium powered electric vehicles will be done at the Factory Zero Detroit-Hamtramck site.

GM Reveals All-New EV Motors to Power an All-Electric Future

Architecture-and-Ultium-Battery-System (2).pdf

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[riviera74]

Unfortunately, these Hummers will be matching Tesla in pricing (like Tesla X pricing). 

Other than that, things are looking up for GM in this department.  I wonder how long it will take for all this tech to filter down to the price of a base model Chevy Trax or Equinox.

[balthazar]

Maybe never.

[G. David Felt]

GM is slowly releasing images of their electric motors with transmission system, wow are these compact.

There is a whole new series of pictures on their web site at various stages of creation / R&D. Very cool to look at found here: GM Corporate Newsroom - United States - Images

 

[G. David Felt]

On 9/23/2021 at 3:35 PM, balthazar said:

Maybe never.

Maybe not in your life time is what your saying? I honestly think we will see low end EVs by 2030 for everyone if not sooner.

[riviera74]

6 hours ago, David said:

Maybe not in your life time is what your saying? I honestly think we will see low end EVs by 2030 for everyone if not sooner.

I hope so.  I will know when EVs are truly mainstream when the used car market is flooded with ICE cars when people consistently trade those in for BEV cars.  Ideally BEV cars start at $20K, not $35-40K.

[surreal1272]

On 9/23/2021 at 6:35 PM, balthazar said:

Maybe never.

Sure about that? The Nissan Leaf starts at about $2K more than the Equinox. 

7 minutes ago, riviera74 said:

I hope so.  I will know when EVs are truly mainstream when the used car market is flooded with ICE cars when people consistently trade those in for BEV cars.  Ideally BEV cars start at $20K, not $35-40K.

Most ICE cars don’t even start anywhere near $20K anymore. $25-30K is probably going to be the baseline for BEVs. 

[balthazar]

No; hence the term "maybe".

[G. David Felt]

44 minutes ago, riviera74 said:

I hope so.  I will know when EVs are truly mainstream when the used car market is flooded with ICE cars when people consistently trade those in for BEV cars.  Ideally BEV cars start at $20K, not $35-40K.

I think due to the Pandemic and inflation as companies hate to roll back prices, gov hates to give up tax collection, I have to wonder if the new starting price on cars is not high $20's to low $30's.

Sad for sure, but I have seen bump in prices, but many things are staying at a much higher price and we are seeing limits on how much one can buy now again.  ?

[riviera74]

2 hours ago, David said:

I think due to the Pandemic and inflation as companies hate to roll back prices, gov hates to give up tax collection, I have to wonder if the new starting price on cars is not high $20's to low $30's.

Sad for sure, but I have seen bump in prices, but many things are staying at a much higher price and we are seeing limits on how much one can buy now again.  ?

Do automakers expect all their buyers to lease their cars now?  That seems stupid when you think about it.