Vehicle Set Strategy, abbreviated VSS, is the general name of a plan that entails consolidating GM’s 26 platforms to four next-generation automotive vehicle sets (otherwise known as platforms) that will underpin all next-generation vehicles from General Motors.
Objectives
The objectives behind VSS include platform consolidation, complexity reduction, along with simplification in engineering and manufacturing in order to realize significant cost savings and enable the company to deliver better-differentiated designs more quickly to customers around the world.
With the vehicle set strategy, GM is looking to reduce its 26 global vehicle production platforms used in 2016 to just four. The move will also enable the company to deliver better-differentiated designs more quickly to customers around the world.
GM’s vehicle sets are set to employ some common components and structures, which will save engineering, purchasing and tooling costs. In theory, the undertaking will also enable GM to better tailor individual models to regional markets and specific sectors. For instance, a small car for China might share some basic parts but not sheet metal with a mid-size sedan for sale in Europe.
Development
Development of the Vehicle Set strategy was started in the 2013-2014 timeframe by GM CEO Mary Barra when she headed GM’s product development department before succeeding Dan Akerson as CEO in January 2016. The project is currently lead by GM Executive Vice President of Product Development, Mark Reuss.
Vehicle Sets
The concept behind Vehicle Sets is best compared to Lego-like component sets that redefine what the automotive industry has typically referred to as platforms.
Currently, GM’s vehicle set strategy involves developing four highly flexible and scalable “vehicle sets” to cover front-wheel drive cars, crossover, rear-wheel-drive vehicles, and sport utility vehicles and trucks of all different sizes. The four sets are:
- VSS-S for front-wheel-drive or FWD-based all-wheel-drive crossover utility vehicles (CUVs)
- VSS-F for front-wheel-drive or FWD-based all-wheel-drive cars
- VSS-R for rear-wheel-drive or RWD-based all-wheel-drive cars
- VSS-T for rear-wheel-drive or 4WD pickup trucks, SUVs or vans
Introduction
GM chief of global vehicle product development, Mark Reuss, has stated that the first two GM vehicle sets will go into production in calendar year 2020. The first two sets will be VSS-T and VSS-F.
Challenges
GM faces a series of challenges in bringing the vehicle set strategy concept to life, namely complexity and cost hurdles.
Vehicle Applications
Here’s how we expect GM will use the four vehicle sets in future GM vehicles:
VSS-F
- All future front-wheel-drive-based cars
VSS-S
- All future front-wheel-drive-based crossovers
VSS-R
- All future rear-drive cars and possibly crossovers, including most Cadillacs and the Chevrolet Camaro
VSS-T
- All body-on-frame pickup trucks, SUVs and vans
