General Motors Co. (GM) to expand its portfolio through the introduction of more electric utility vehicles (EV) using the new Ultium battery in South Korea. Jesse Ortega, a chief architectural engineer at GM’s Autonomous and Electric Vehicle Programs, stated that the US automaker pledges to make Electric Vehicles (EV) a reality in Korea.
Furthermore, in a virtual platform conference last Wednesday, Ortega expressed that South Korea boasts a very technologically advanced market partnered with technologically savvy customers. A robust IT-based infrastructure provides an ideal opportunity for GM to establish its business in Korea
GM revealed its newest battery system called Ultium last March. The EV propulsion system, could sustain all of GM’s EV line-ups, can be custom made according to customer specifications. The Ultium battery cells would let an EV to travel 800 to 970 kilometers when fully charged.
Large-scale high energy cells make up the basic building units of GM’s new EV architecture. The company developed the battery system for almost three years.
GM introduced the 2020 Bolt EV, which runs up to 414 km on a single charge in Korea this month. For the past three years, GM already sold 9,322 Bolt EVs in South Korea.
Ken Morris, GM’s president of electric and autonomous vehicles, said that Ultium battery cells would be produced through a collaboration with South Korean battery maker LG Chem in Ohio, USA. Morris also stated that GM continually finds ways to develop and improve its battery technology in terms of mileage and charging time and aims to achieve a million-mile range in the coming years.
Two New EV Models
GM intends to present two new EV models this year, which includes the GMC Hummer Electric Vehicle and Cadillac Lyriq SUV Lyriq SUV. The company aims to achieve zero emissions, zero congestion, and zero crashes through its new launches. GM would allot about 24.3 trillion won ($20 billion) for its autonomous EV development ventures in the next five years..
GM CEO Mary Barra stated that the company aspires to work together with LG Chem in the future. The collaboration would combine the manufacturing expertise of LG Chem’s battery cell technology with GM’s quest for an all-electric future.
LG Chem executed a partnership with GM to construct a 2.8 trillion won ($2.3 billion) battery cell plant in Lordstown, Ohio. LG Chem would supply GM’s EV models. The construction of the plant would start this year.
