GM has been in the news a lot lately due to the Chevy Bolt’s battery issues, but that isn’t stopping the automaker from pushing ahead with its electrification plans. Last year GM unveiled the 2022 GMC Hummer EV, which is just one of the several upcoming EVs that will be built on its Ultium platform. Now GM has unveiled the electric motors that will power the Ultium-based EVs.
At the 2021 Mackinac Policy Conference, GM unveiled its three new electric motors, a 180-kilowatt front-drive motor, 255-kW rear- and front-drive motor and 62-kW all-wheel drive assist motor. The 180- and 255-kW motors are permanent magnet motors designed to minimize reliance on heavy rare earth materials while the 62-kW unit is an induction motor. Up to three of the motors can be used for an EV, like the Hummer EV with its three 255-kW electric motors that generate a combined 1,000 horsepower.
GM engineers have also developed the software for Ultium Drive’s motor controllers, which used used computer-assisted and virtual engineering to improve the design process.
“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,” stated General Motors President Mark Reuss. “Our vertical integration in this space, encompassing both hardware and software, helps give us control over our own destiny and a significant competitive advantage.”
