GM China Breaks Ground for Advanced Technical Center in Shanghai

2010-07-19

Shanghai – As part of the completion of its corporate campus, which opened in 2009, General Motors broke ground this morning for the GM China Advanced Technical Center.

The new facility, which will be adjacent to the GM China International Operations and GM China Headquarters in Shanghai, will develop advanced vehicle designs and technology solutions for GM on a domestic and global basis. It will be part of GM’s global engineering and design network, and support GM’s vision to design, build and sell the world’s best vehicles.

“As an integral element of our global product development strategy, the GM China Advanced Technical Center will create advanced technologies and lead GM’s global research in targeted areas,” said Kevin Wale, President and Managing Director of the GM China Group. “We expect it to become one of GM’s most important and comprehensive technical and design facilities worldwide.”

The GM China Advanced Technical Center will include 62 test labs and nine research labs. It will be home to four key research and design organizations:

* The China Science Lab, which was launched in 2009, is engaged in research and technology development that should lead to applications over five to 15 years. Its focus is on advanced propulsion system research, manufacturing process research, megacity smart traffic research, customer-driven advanced vehicle development, battery cell material and fabrication research, and lightweight material research.
* The Vehicle Engineering Lab will localize technology for the Chinese market. It will carry out the testing and development of electric vehicles, research on alternative energy vehicles, research and development of battery technology in conjunction with Chinese suppliers, and product development featuring advanced technology and design solutions with GM’s domestic joint ventures.
* The Advanced Powertrain Engineering Lab will carry out research and development work on advanced propulsion systems, including electrification technology, alternatives to petroleum-based fuels in conventional powertrains, and unique conventional powertrains for the local market, as well as development and testing of new materials for powertrain products.
* The Advanced Design Center will play a significant role supporting GM’s global design resources, with a focus on meeting local needs. Its world-class capability will include a digital visualization center and secure indoor and outdoor viewing/exhibition areas. It will gather and analyze information on automotive, fashion and other design trends in the Chinese and regional markets to support vehicle development.

Construction of the GM China Advanced Technical Center will be completed by the end of 2011. Within five years, it is expected to have more than 300 employees, including designers, researchers, engineers and technicians. The new facility will complement GM’s engineering and product development partnerships in China, including the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC) in Shanghai and the China Automotive Energy Research Center (CAERC) in Beijing.

According to Wale, “As a global technology leader and the global industry leader in China, GM is committed to working with the Chinese government, industry partners and the academic community in the development of tomorrow’s vehicles. By joining forces, we can accelerate the arrival of sustainable transportation and remove the motor vehicle from the environmental equation.”

GM Opens Seoul Advanced Design Studio
2010-04-20

• Based in trendy Gangnam area of Seoul – 2010 World Design Capital
• GM hosts “TrendSpotter” event celebrating the opening

Seoul, Korea – With a renewed focus on designing, building and selling the world’s best vehicles, General Motors today announced the opening of the Seoul Advanced Design Studio in the heart of the 2010 World Design Capital. The studio is based in the city’s Gangnam area, which is considered not only the most exciting and stylish part of Korea’s capital, but also one of the world’s trendiest neighborhoods.

“Our car designers get inspiration from life and Gangnam is a place where people worship design, style and fashion,” said Ed Welburn, GM Vice President of Global Design. “Our Korean designers will sample perfection every day surrounded by some of the top brands and fashion houses in the world and this ideal location will nurture their creative souls.”

GM Daewoo President and CEO Mike Arcamone said that design will continue to be a key to the company’s success.  “Our award-winning Korean designers were responsible for the Chevrolet Cruze, Spark and yet to be launched Aveo (sold domestically as Lacetti Premiere, Matiz and Gentra),” said Arcamone. “Seoul Advanced Design Studio demonstrates GM’s support of GM Daewoo, and in turn, our support for Seoul’s year long initiative aimed at capitalizing on its World Design Capital status.”

One of 10 GM global design centers and the design base for GM’s global mini and small vehicles, the GM Daewoo Design Center has relocated its advanced design function to Seoul from its headquarters in Bupyeong, Incheon, in order to enhance its function and specialty.

Our New Neighborhood

Its location in Gangnam puts the Seoul Advanced Design Studio in the heart of the nation’s center of culture, the arts, fashion and industry. It will enable the new organization to participate in the extensive series of design programs being carried out in Seoul, which succeeded Torino, Italy, as World Design Capital. Gangnam is one of Seoul’s most affluent neighborhoods and a shopping mecca home to dozens of global and Korean brands, and hundreds of trendy clubs and restaurants and art galleries.

Our Designers

Thirty designers and other employees are based at the Seoul Advanced Design Studio. They specialize in both exterior and interior styling of global mini and small vehicles, research on trends in colors and materials, and advanced electronics, digital design, and studio engineering. Their work will help set the future design direction for GM Daewoo and General Motors.

Our Event

In celebration of the new design studio’s opening, GM is hosting a trends show aptly themed “TrendSpotter” this evening at the stylish Woo Bar at Seoul’s W Hotel. Experts will provide insight into future design trends for vehicles as well as culture, fashion and lifestyle. VIP guests include Seoul Vice Mayor Kyeongwon Chung and Canadian Ambassador to Korea Ted Lipman, along with celebrities, fashionistas, design professionals, industry leaders and lifestyle/fashion media.

“Seoul Advanced Design Studio will be at the forefront of fashion, the arts, culture and business. It will provide an ideal environment for our designers, who benefit from constant inspiration and stimuli,” said GM Daewoo Design Center Vice President Tae-wan Kim. “There is no better way to celebrate the Seoul Advanced Design Studio’s launch while showing our commitment to becoming a global leader in automotive design than hosting a high-image trend show with trend leaders and influencers from across Korea.”

About General Motors

General Motors, one of the world’s largest automakers, traces its roots back to 1908.  With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 217,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in some 140 countries.  GM and its strategic partners produce cars and trucks in 34 countries, and sell and service these vehicles through the following brands:  Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, FAW, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling.  GM’s largest national market is the United States, followed by China, Brazil, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Italy.  GM’s OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services.  General Motors acquired operations from General Motors Corporation on July 10, 2009, and references to prior periods in this and other press materials refer to operations of the old General Motors Corporation.  More information on the new General Motors can be found at www.gm.com.

Electric Update: Batteries and Vehicle Testing Hitting Milestones

2010-04-12

Recent calibration drives of pre-production Chevrolet Volt electric vehicles have achieved up to 39.9 miles of emission-free, electric-only driving range, chief engineer Andrew Farah said Monday during a program update for news media.

The Volt, which can travel up to 300 miles beyond its pure electric range because of a small on board gasoline engine, recently completed a round of cold weather testing in Kapuskasing, Ontario, Canada, and will undergo additional hot weather testing in Yuma, AZ, in June and July.

The Volt remains on schedule for start of regular production in the fourth quarter. Farah, chief engineer for the Volt and the Opel Ampera, said more than 500,000 test miles have already been put on the pre-production Volt vehicles.

Farah said engineers at GM’s Warren, Mich., Technical Center will begin building pre-production versions of the Ampera later this month in preparation for its launch in Europe for the 2012 model year.

Monday’s update followed the announcement that GM plans to invest an additional $8 million to double the size of its automotive battery lab in Warren.

Micky Bly, GM’s executive director of global electrical systems, hybrids, electric vehicles & batteries said more than 300 pre-production packs were slated to be built at GM’s Brownstown, Mich., battery plant.

So far, more than 850,000 miles of customer use lab testing have been completed on the battery pack design for the Volt and Ampera.  Bly said the team continues to study additional applications of the Voltec battery-based propulsion system in future vehicles, although no details were provided.

GM To Invest $8 Million, Double Size Of Battery Lab In Warren, MI
GM Doubling Size of Most Technologically Advanced Automotive Battery Lab in the United States

2010-04-12

• Bolsters GM’s leadership in automotive battery technology and electrically driven vehicles, such as the Chevrolet Volt
• $8-million expansion doubles size of Global Battery Systems Lab on the GM Technical Center campus in Warren, Mich., to 63,000 sq. ft.
• Improves on-site safety, charging, engineering and manufacturing testing capabilities for all current and new battery cell, module and pack technologies

WARREN, Mich. – General Motors is doubling the size of the largest and most technologically advanced automotive battery lab in the U.S. to expedite the development of electrically driven vehicles for consumers.

The $8-million investment will improve on-site testing of all current and new battery cell, module and pack technologies by enlarging the Global Battery Systems Lab on the GM Technical Center campus by 30,000 sq. ft. to 63,000 sq. ft. The addition will be located adjacent to the existing lab inside the Alternative Energy Center facility. Areas previously used for engine testing will be renovated for battery development, with construction beginning this month and scheduled for completion in the summer.

“GM is building on its commitment to lead the development of electric vehicle technology – from battery cell design to the charging infrastructure – and today’s investment furthers our work in this area,” said Micky Bly, GM executive director, global electrical systems, hybrids, electric vehicles and batteries. “This addition will benefit consumers by helping us put cleaner, more efficient vehicles, including the Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle with extended range, on the road more quickly and affordably.”

GM’s Global Battery Systems Lab began operations in January 2009 and became fully operational in May 2009. http://media.gm.com/content/media/us/en/news/news_detail.brand_gm.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2009/Jun/0608_BatteryLab

It is used by GM’s growing team of more than 1,000 engineers working on advanced batteries and electrically driven vehicles. More than half of the current lab is dedicated to testing the electrochemical battery cells and their enclosures, known as modules. The lab’s remaining floor space is committed to evaluating completed battery packs.

The expansion will add capability in six areas, including:

• Safety and Abuse Tolerance. Powertrain test cells previously used for engine altitude testing will be retrofitted for crush, penetration, water immersion, overcharge, discharge and short circuit tests
• Buildup and Teardown. Reuse storage areas to prepare batteries before tests and provide secured rooms for supplier evaluation
• Manufacturing Engineering. Reuse space previously occupied by engine dynamometers to improve manufacturing processes, such as laser welding and cell stacking
• Charger Development and Integration
• Thermal Development. Radiant heat, thermal stability and thermal shock testing
• Battery Storage

“We’ve made the commitment to design, develop, validate and manufacture automotive battery technology in-house,” said Bly. “Consolidating these testing capabilities at the Global Battery Systems Lab will reduce costs, provide a competitive advantage, quicken the pace of development and ensure we will design, build and sell the world’s best vehicles.”

The Global Battery Systems Lab equipment and test automation systems are being integrated with GM’s global network of battery labs, including Mainz Kastel, Germany and Shanghai, China, to facilitate seamless data exchange and work sharing. http://www.gm.com/experience/technology/research/news/2009/csl_092409.jsp

The Global Battery Systems Lab recently received world-class accreditation from the ISO-certified American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA), a nonprofit, public service group that evaluates the competency and capability of labs across all fields of testing. Auditors from the A2LA reviewed testing procedures and results, equipment calibration, operations documentation, personnel competency and the lab’s quality policy. The benefits of being an ISO-certified lab include: ensuring that data is accurate and avoiding expensive retesting from unreliable results.

The lab is equipped with 176 test channels and 49 thermal chambers duplicating extreme real-world driving patterns, hot and cold temperatures and calendar life.

This lab includes many environmentally conscious features such as a center hallway with high-efficiency LED lighting and a floor made from recycled tires. Approximately 90 percent of the electricity used for battery testing can be returned to the local energy grid for use by homeowners and businesses. The Global Battery Systems Lab received an honorable mention for Green Project of the Year by the Construction Association of Michigan.

Additional benefits offered by the Global Battery Systems Lab include a thermal shaker table for testing the structural integrity of the battery and electronic controls; a battery teardown area for failure analysis and competitor benchmarking; an integrated test automation system and improved Design of Experiments methodology – an information-gathering exercise that allows GM to perform more thorough battery tests more quickly.

In addition to battery labs in Warren, Mainz-Kastel and Shanghai, GM also has facilities dedicated to vehicle electrification in Honeoye Falls, N.Y., and the GM Technical Center’s Research Chemical Engineering facility.

GM’s battery lab network is part of a corporate battery research and development strategy that includes:

• Ramping-up “in-house” battery development capability by increasing the staff of GM’s global electric vehicle and advanced battery organization
• Becoming the first major automaker to manufacture an advanced lithium-ion battery pack in the U.S. at GM’s Brownstown Battery Pack Assembly Plant in Brownstown Township, Mich., in January. http://media.gm.com/content/media/us/en/news/news_detail.brand_gm.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2010/Jan/0107_brownstown
• Joining with the University of Michigan to create a new automotive advanced battery lab in Ann Arbor, Mich., and a specialized curriculum within U of M’s College of Engineering to develop automotive battery engineers
• Growing and establishing a robust lineup of battery suppliers and universities for cell development and manufacturing and battery integration expertise, including companies LG Chem, A123 Systems, Hitachi Ltd. and Compact Power Inc.
• Collaborating with government organizations and industry consortia, such as the U.S. Department of Energy, United States Council for Automotive Research, the United States Advanced Battery Consortium LLC and Electric Power Research Institute to advance the development of, plug-ins and electric vehicles, and the necessary electric infrastructure to support these vehicles

Energy alternatives and advanced technologies that reduce dependence on petroleum, improve fuel economy and reduce emissions are keys to developing sustainable transportation. GM is pursuing several options to best meet the varied needs of customers around the world – from advanced gasoline, diesel and biofuel technology to electrically assisted vehicles and, ultimately, electrically driven extended-range,  and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. GM believes that electrically driven vehicles, based on battery and hydrogen fuel cell technology, offer the best long-term solution or providing sustainable personal transportation.

Facts: Global Battery Systems Lab

Location

* Alternative Energy Center, GM Technical Center, Warren, Mich.

Timing

* Battery system test area opened January 2009
* Cell and module test area opened May 2009
* Phase Two scheduled to open summer 2010

Size

Total floor space: 63,000 sq. ft.

* Pack testing and development – 14,400 sq. ft.
* Cell and module development – 17,400 sq. ft.
* Technical support – 2,000 sq. ft.
* Phase Two – 30,000 sq. ft.

Benefits

* 40 cyclers (serve as treadmills for batteries)
* 80 test channels (available for individual battery tests)
* 33 thermal chambers (duplicates extreme temperature conditions)

* Pack testing

* 32 cyclers
* 96 test channels
* 16 small thermal chambers

* Cell and module testing

* New humidity-controlled walk-in chambers
* New airflow benches to provide specific temperatures and levels of humidity to test air-cooled battery packs
* New coolant chillers to cool or heat liquid-cooled battery packs

* Environmental control capability to allow for  test correlation and repeatability

* Walk-in test cells for battery pack, module and cell crush, penetration, water immersion, overcharge, discharge and short circuit tests.

* Phase Two
* Safety and abuse tolerance testing

* Laser-welding and cell-stacking development tests to improve manufacturing processes

* Manufacturing engineering

* Charger development and integration
* Thermal development tests for radiant heat, thermal stability and thermal shock