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New BEV3 GM EV Platform Unveiled

General Motors just revealed the BEV3 flexible global all-electric vehicle platform. The new GM EV platform debuted alongside the automaker’s new Ultium battery technology, and coincided with a slew of new details on GM’s all-electric future.

“What we have done is build a multi-brand, multi-segment EV strategy with economies of scale that rival our full-size truck business with much less complexity and even more flexibility,” said GM chairman and CEO, Mary Barra.

The BEV3 platform is a third-generation GM EV architecture, and will first see use in the forthcoming Lyriq electric Cadillac crossover slated to debut in April. Lyriq will go into production in 2022 as a 2023 model-year vehicle. We’ve also learned that Cadillac is developing a new luxury sedan called the Celestiq which will also use the BEV3 GM EV platform.

The BEV3 platform will provide the bones for a number of other vehicles as well, including the Cruise Origin autonomous taxi, a Light Commercial Vehicle, and a mainstream “low-roof” car. The details of the BEV3 strategy came into focus recently at the GM Capital Markets Day event.

Chevrolet, GMC, and Buick will all launch new EVs starting this year, including a new version of the Chevrolet Bolt EV later in 2022, followed by the 2022 Bolt EUV in the Summer of 2021. GM says the Bolt EUV will be the first non-Cadillac model to feature the Super Cruise hands-free driving technology, which will see further implementation in as many as 10 vehicles by next year, and 22 vehicles by 2023.

“Thousands of GM scientists, engineers and designers are working to execute an historic reinvention of the company,” said GM President Mark Reuss. “They are on the cusp of delivering a profitable EV business that can satisfy millions of customers.”

GM is also developing the new BT1 EV pickup platform, which will underpin the forthcoming GMC Hummer EV.

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Jonathan is an automotive journalist based out of Southern California. He loves anything and everything on four wheels.

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Comments

  1. The future of Electric Vehicles will depend on who wins the Presidential election this November, if it’s Joe Biden or Bernie Sanders who both have said the Green New Deal will be part of their Presidential agenda, it will mean fracking will stop and the United States will begin buying oil from the Middle East again and with the excessive taxes applied to gasoline like $20-30 per gallon to offset free healthcare for all.. car companies may need to stop production until they’re able to only build EV and even then, business will be challenged because the cost of electricity will go up 4-5x minimum because the country’s power plants won’t be using fossil fuels (the end to burning oil, coal and natural gas) which will mean there may not be enough power from solar, wind and hydro dams.

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    1. Except 90% of EV’s will be charged at home, off-peak hours, with renewable solar. Otherwise nice meme.

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      1. Except that those non peak hours will be at night when solar doesn’t produce anything, nice meme.

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      2. I don’t think you quite understand off-peak and the concept of darkness.

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        1. Troy – I don’t think you or Jacob understand the concept of energy storage (batteries, net metering, etc). A quick google search will “enlighten” you. Folks need to wake up and understand that this isn’t the 1990’s anymore. Solar power is a legitimate energy source.

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          1. Bz, I think you don’t understand numbers. Off peak means that the majority of businesses are closed and the majority of the population is asleep at night when there is no sun, this no solar generation. The only way solar will work is to have massive battery packs for supply. As battery packs are about 90% efficient, and power line transmission losses it will take 1.4 battery packs to recharge your car, plus additional battery packs for your house. We are talking nearly 40000$ of batteries before the car motor and frame! Further, the solar cell isn’t close to providing power for our country. Despite more investment over the last 10 year in solar than in gas and coal, solar power provides less than 1/2% of our power grid, and most solar cells currently installed are only 10% efficient. It doesn’t compute.

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            1. I must update my statement, .1% of our power grid is solar.

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          2. While your car is charging in the garage what is going to power your water heater? television? stereo? Lights? Air conditioning? garbage disposal?…..IN your house?…Your house better be one big solar cell as solar cells are NOT that efficient yet.

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            1. Here in MI we have a fairly advanced electric grid, so I can simultaneously charge my Volt and use any other appliance in my house, including AC. Maybe in the sh**hole states they would have issues?

              The great thing about our electric grid is that it can be upgraded. Without upgradability there could have been no internet yet America rose to the challenge. Even then, there were American’ts complaining that we couldn’t do it. Always trying to hold us back.

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    2. Wow, Omegatalon – it is now 2024 and everything your crystal ball claimed has proven to be just more fear-mongering delusional hogwash. Just like every sane person expected.

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  2. It’s interesting that this article doesn’t have General Motors CEO Mary Barra tell how much the BEV3 platform will cost because if Trump gets re-elected and gas remains cheap, spending $20-30K premium for an EV might not make sense; but as stated, it might not matter because under the Green New Deal, the price per kilowatt will be so expensive that people will not be able to afford to recharge their car batteries as the United States will jump back into the 19th century.

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    1. Exactly, and not to mention that several states are talking about lopping on additional ownership taxes of up to 2000$ a year because these things weight as much as a full size truck and dont pay road taxes, so add an additional 30,000$ on the cost of ownership. I think it is funny how they are announcing a 2023 year model this early, plenty of time to delay it till 2025, just like ford has done with the bronco, but granted they had the bronco ready early last year and it tanked with the focus group and they had to redo it.

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      1. When I renewed my license tag I had to pay an additional $200 because it was an EV. That’s about 1000 gallons worth of gas tax per year, so don’t tell me I’m not paying road taxes.

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        1. Which state are you in? Kentucky has .8$ a gallon tax which is 800$ per 1000gallons. Thats cheap and not every state has it yet, but it is coming.

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          1. You’re off by a decimal point: $0.08 * 1000 gallons = $80

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  3. It really makes sense now why GM made a half-hearted bid at Rivian.

    GM’s tech looks much more advanced.

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    1. Ford needed Rivian way more than GM.

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  4. Ford’s chassis underpinned Rivian. Rivian wasn’t about to switch to a GM chassis and GM wasn’t going to hand cash over to Ford for their chassis when they’re in the business of building their own. GM had done a LOT of work on EVs before the ’08 – ’09 meltdown. Fortunately that knowledge and experience didn’t get tossed. They didn’t have to start back at square one when they chose to go down the EV road again.

    As far as electric power generation, there are other options than fossil fuels, nuclear and solar. Wind is just one example. Hydro-electric can be done for a lot less than 50 years ago with new technology. There’s other ideas being built upon in that sector at this very moment. All looking to capitalize on the next new thing. Fear not but fear itself. This will happen and it will succeed. For the record, I’ll be the last one forced to switch over. LoL

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  5. I’m surprised the inverter is mounted on the top of the front motor instead of behind it where it would lower the center of gravity. It would be interesting to hear why the engineers made that choice.

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    1. It’s not sitting much higher than the top of the tire so I doubt it would have much of an impact on it’s centre of gravity. Also, they’re likely looking to maximize cabin space and engine compartment space for a hundreds of other items that will be added to this vehicle.

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  6. It is a bit higher than VW’s MEB platform, but then VW likes to design all of their cars to handle well while GM has traditionally separated out the performance products into the high end. Agreed that GM’s version could have packaging advantages, though having test driven a Bolt I was not very impressed with storage space. If they had extended the snout and included a frunk then it would have been more practical and might possibly have looked less gimpy.

    Anyways, I’ll stop judging the soup before it’s done cooking. Hopefully they’ll surprise us.

    Reply

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