By
Svetlana Soroka
April 18th, 2024
The push by General Motors to advance on its EV drive systems is coming following recent steps the company has made to get closer to electric car production.
General Motors Company (NYSE: GM) has made known its plans to begin the manufacturing of its own EV drive systems. Per an exclusive report from Reuters, the move by General Motors (GM) to debut its own family of electric vehicle drive systems will help boost manufacturing efficiencies as the company transitions into a fully electric car manufacturing industry.
The clamor for electric vehicles has gained tremendous traction in recent times with most countries gearing up for an eventual transition to an energy-efficient society. Billed to suppress the contributions of burning fossil fuels to the climate change saga, automobile industries have tapped into the sustainable development goals by churning out vehicles with zero Carbon footprint.
While many of these auto manufacturing companies debuted as a solely electric vehicle production plant such as Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA), the likes of General Motors which started with fossil fuels are aiming to join the electric car manufacturing train.
According to a GM media release viewed by Reuters, the automaker is set to announce that it has designed and plans to produce on its own five interchangeable drive units and three motors, which it calls the “Ultium Drive” system. The company noted that the Ultium Drive system will have enough energy output which will make them suitable to be integrated into a wide range of vehicles including trucks, utility sports vehicles among others.
As Reuters reported, Adam Kwiatkowski, GM’s executive chief engineer for global electrical propulsion, said that by designing its own e-axles, GM could better integrate them with an EV’s battery and the rest of the car. E-axles combine gear, motor, and power electronics into a single system and help convert the electricity from batteries efficiently to propel the vehicle. The company aims to make its productions more economical in the long run with the proposed EV drive systems.
General Motors Making Advances in EV Ecosystem
The push by General Motors to advance on its EV drive systems is coming following recent steps the company has made with respect to electric car production. Last month, the company unveiled an all-electric Cadillac Lyriq which is expected to be in the U.S., showrooms by 2022. The company says the Cadillac Lyriq will compete with existing EV brands in the market.
With General Motors aiming to outpace the electric car production giant Tesla, the release of the Cadillac Lyriq marks a turning point in the company’s drive. Cadillac President Steve Carlisle told reporters during a media briefing:
“It marks a turning point for the brand, a pivot point for the brand, an opportunity to regain momentum and position the Cadillac brand for its next chapter. Lyriq really is the cornerstone upon which we are going to build the future.”
As a way to further strengthen its position in the EV industry, General Motors have formed a strategic alliance with Nikola Corporation (NASDAQ: NKLA).