GM announces a new highly efficient EV platform
GM has optimized its development processes, enabling it to bring a new platform to market in less time. This platform is set to make its debut in production vehicles “very soon.” Additionally, significantly more efficient batteries and a faster, centralized computing system are planned for use in vehicles starting in 2028.
Image: GM
General Motors (GM) has unveiled the fourth generation of its electric vehicle platform. Rumors that the company is working on a successor to the BEV3 architecture had already circulated in July. The improved version is intended to be more efficient and cost-effective, using fewer components. During the presentation at the “GM Forward” event in New York, GM President Mark Reuss spoke of a “very soon” launch for the platform, which is primarily designed for volume models such as crossover SUVs.
Reuss noted during the presentation that as a global corporation, GM benefits from the rising worldwide sales of electric vehicles. “Once the U.S. market is ready for the surge in electrification, we are prepared.”
This move is the company’s response to intense competitive pressure in the electric vehicle sector. Rival Ford is working on a similar concept for more efficient and affordable electric vehicles with its “Universal Electric Vehicle Platform.” There, a pickup named “Fathom” is set to go into production as the first model by the end of next year at around $30,000.
Faster development processes established
In developing the platform, GM took new approaches by bringing together teams that usually work on projects sequentially. With this new method, designers, engineers, and manufacturing teams can collaborate earlier to develop ideas and solve problems. The manufacturer says this shift reduces the overall vehicle development cycle from five years to about half that time.
According to GM, this created an EV platform that reduces the vehicle weight by 15 percent, improves aerodynamics by 25 percent, and cuts drivetrain components by 40 percent. Additionally, GM is using new lithium-manganese-rich batteries (LMR) with prismatic cells and a flat design. The manufacturer claims this results in a 20 percent increase in total range per kilowatt hour. This improved efficiency allows for smaller batteries, which the company expects to bring significant cost savings in production.
The flatter battery cells also allow for a lower, more aerodynamic vehicle height without compromising the interior space. Through digital simulations, the developers tested over 300,000 battery designs before building the first actual prototype. This approach reduced the usual development time from years to just one month.
LMR batteries promise 33 percent higher energy density
The cell chemistry of LMR batteries offers not only a 33 percent higher energy density than lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries but also maintains similar low production costs, as significantly fewer expensive and resource-intensive materials are required compared to conventional high-performance batteries. The manufacturing of LMR cells will begin in 2028 through the joint venture between GM Ultium Cells and LG Energy Solutions at the plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee.
New computer architecture starting in 2028
In addition to the platform, GM has also fundamentally changed the electronics. Instead of many smaller control units, a central computer located in the front part of the vehicle will now handle the control of all functions, from propulsion and suspension to safety systems. According to GM, this reduces wiring by 30 percent and increases computing power by 40 times, enabling the use of AI for interactions with passengers and energy management. The new computer architecture is set to be used in series for the first time in the Cadillac Escalade IQ starting with the 2028 model year.