GM Ultium Battery Packs To Provide Up To 450 Miles Of Maximum Range
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General Motors has managed to increase the maximum estimated range of its modular Ultium battery system from 400 miles to 450 miles.
In a statement released this week, GM said that “engineering advances have increased the previously stated GM-estimated maximum range of Ultium-based vehicles from 400” to 450 miles.
This GM-estimated figure represents the maximum possible range for an Ultium powered vehicle and does not mean that all vehicles with Ultium batteries will be able to travel this far on a single charge. It’s likely that only select GM EVs, such as those with very large battery packs, will be able to achieve this range figure in the real world. The automaker did not say what kind of engineering advances helped increase the range of its Ultium battery system.
GMC Hummer EV chassis with Ultium battery
Additionally, the automaker said this week that its Ultium battery system is “expected to bring EVs closer to price parity with gas-powered vehicles.” This is mainly due to the fact that all Ultium batteries use a single common cell, allowing GM to use them in everything from trucks to mass-market commuter cars and even high-performance vehicles. The second-generation line of Ultium batteries, which GM is working on now and predicts will be ready by mid-decade, will result in even more cost savings, boasting twice the energy density at less than half the cost of today’s Ultium chemistry.
“Ultium already represents a milestone achievement in electrification, with battery pack costs nearly 40 percent lower than those in the Chevrolet Bolt EV,” GM said in a statement. “Despite the pandemic, GM’s work on EVs accelerated during 2020.”
“Now, just eight months after the technology was first revealed, GM is projecting that second-generation Ultium packs, expected mid-decade, will cost 60 percent less than the batteries in use today with twice the energy density expected.”
The first GM vehicle with an Ultium battery pack to go on sale is the 2022 GMC Hummer EV. Order books for the battery-electric pickup opened last month, with deliveries of the Edition 1 model set to begin late next year. The GMC Hummer EV Edition 1 has a 350 kWh battery pack providing an estimated 350 miles of range.
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Sounds like the ‘range’ issue in EVs is very close to being solved. Now, researchers and manufacturers need to attack the ‘charge time’ problem. EVs won’t become universally accepted by the general public until they can recharge their vehicle’s battery pack in about the same time it takes to refill their current IC-engine-equipped vehicle’s fuel tank.
That is not an issue with present EV owners, especially Chevy Bolt EVs. They just charge overnight at their homes while they sleep. That is much more safer that going to a charge stations just as ICEVs do now. Only a very few want to drive over the battery range and recharge on the road. And there are plenty of charging stations around the U.S.
For those who have no place to charge, get a hybrid and refuel like a regular ICEV.. Problem solved!
Re-read my post; I’m not talking about CURRENT owners of EVs.
I agree with the Hybrid. Unfortunately in GM’s case it is either EV or ICE. I think there sales for a vehicle like the Hummer would be higher if there were a Hybrid offering and at least customers could wean themselves to 100 percent electric over a couple of vehicle purchases.
GM stupidly got rid of PHEV Volt because they didn’t want to offer DCFC and people couldn’t quickly recharge 50 miles on the go, they had to switch to gas which is not the reason people bought them. They wanted to recharge around town quickly where POSSIBLE, recharge at HOME when they were done for the day and only use gas on long trips AWAY from charging stations.
People did NOT buy the Volt so they could “just use gas” when there’s a 200 mile day that has plenty of rest time at stores, errand places, cafes, etc. They wanted to RECHARGE and GO.
GM did not listen to it’s customers or survey potential customers correctly. They collected data from the gen1 Volt that showed most people didn’t even install an L2 charger, which tells GM they wouldn’t even want L3 charging.
This was a stupid conclusion for GM to jump to, because they never asked people WHY they didn’t L2 at home or away. The answer would have been “because it’s too SLOW” away from home and “not necessary” at home when you have 10 hours overnight to do it on an L1 wall outlet.
They gave the 2019 Volt the Bolt’s level 2 charger. The reason the car was cut wasn’t because of DCFC. It’s because GM didn’t want to spend the money further developing duel motor vehicles PHEV (Gas/Electric) and focus completely on Electric Car Development.
I would have loved to see the Volt stay around. Quite handy. Love the car. But I can see the reasoning behind this.
Battery are coming close to reaching parity with internal combustion vehicles because they have jacked the cost of the ICE vehicles to insane levels. In 10 years the cost of a decent truck is up 50%.
It’s like those discount stores that put ridiculous prices tags on everything, but the entire store is 70% off all the time.
I’ll have to keep my old truck forever at this rate.
The truth is development cost have sky rocketed on all new vehicles and the technology it takes to make them run clean.
The EV models will not face that. If anything with lowering battery cost they could get cheaper.
Remember when flat screen TVs came out at $7,000. Not target has them 3 times bigger at $700.
It’s not all research and development cost. Chevy’s had the same engine and trans in their trucks since 2014 and yet the cost has gone up exponentially. The tundra hasn’t really changed since the first year it came out.
A lot of it is deliberately closing the gap between the two by raising the price on one while the cost and the other one.
It’s similar tactic Ford used to convince buyers the ecoboost was best. They deliberately hamper the V8 so it looks worse.
But did the old Tube TV’s have prices skyrocket in the early stages to “bring the price closer to parity?”
Asking for a friend.
Tell your friend tube TVs were the cost of a years salary when they first appeared. Few could afford them and many stood in store windows to watch.
Not to be a smart ass since we already have one but most tech was expensive at the start if you know your history.
350 kwh battery pack? Seeing as their only EV product sold in North America has either a 60 or 66 kwh battery pack, the thing should be good for an easy 700 miles.
I think you guys mean 200 kwh. That’s the last figure I heard..
yeah I think they did a copy and paste error there. put it in the pack size and not miles.
This is good to see. I always thought GM was being conservative with their initial #’s. Makes sense for the Lyriq and Hummer tech to be somewhat in sync.
Exactly. They said “350+ miles” for the Hummer, not “350 miles.” They underrated it on purpose to avoid the backlash Porsche got with their Taycan, which was an absolute thrashing. I expected 400 miles before, now I think 400 miles is the baseline, probably a bit higher. I’d expect 420.
What are the dimensions on an Ultium battery pack ie Length,width,depth?
I wonder what it will be like sitting in traffic with an EV with half a tank of charge.
Probably very much like sitting in traffic with a half tank of gas.
I think a BEV wouldn’t need to use as much of its stored power while at rest as a gas engine does. An ICE, even at idle, needs gas to do so. When a BEV is at rest it needs only enough juice to run the ancillary systems like the instruments and the fan. AC would use more of course, but that’s true of ICE as well.
I have a Ford Fusin Hybrid and in traffic it runs on the battery for seven minutes , then starts the engine for three minutes to recharge. This is with the A/C and radio on.
Sitting in traffic with a half tank of charge in cold winters would be concerning. Watching the range drop while sitting there due to cold temps. Ever have your iPhone turn off at 1/2 charge in the winter? Except with a car it means you’re walking.
…….Which is the same as running out of gas.
EV’s will have their drawbacks against ICE, yes. No one is claiming perfection. But they will offer more pluses than minuses. Never having to buy gas is one of the biggest pluses. No more oil changes.
You can always call AAA for a can of gas if your stranded at the side of the road. Unfortunately, you can’t do that with electricity so a nice tow will be in order.
There is where you are wrong, companies are forming to do just that!
Look up sparkcharge!
actually here: https :// sparkcharge .io/
(remove the spaces)
They have heat strips that keep batt warm. Tesla uses that tech in their cars now.
I think the introduction of BEVs will create new industries. I’m thinking of the charging issue. Soon, Condominium and Apartment complexes will want to install systems to keep/attract tenants. The Supermarket I use ALREADY has 5 charging stations for customer use while shopping. The amount of time most will use these will not “fill the tank”. But it will extend range, and serve as an inducement for people to use the store. Like getting a free gallon of gas. Charge a little while shopping. 2 birds, one stone.
Speaking for myself, I’ve been checking recently and it took me over 2 weeks to drive 300 miles. That’s driving in around the city and one round trip to another town about 35 miles away (something I don’t often do). That would mean I would need to charge twice a month. I am fortunate in that I live in a single family home and having a charger would be easy for me. I could plug-in and slow charge over night.
If anyone is really interested, go to YouTube and search for vids about Tesla drivers and what they do for long distance trips. It’s easier that many of you think.
it will be interesting to see what springs up around more widespread EV use. It is not easy to install a high capacity charge. Takes expensive equipment and expansive know how to get it right. high amps of electricity is VERY dangerous. will need to have them massively tested before businesses will take risk of installing.
my bro has a tesla. for long distance trips he rents a car or they take his wife’s. hard to find a charger where you are going without detailed planning. He has no desire to do that so a rental it is.
I believe Tesla’s Nav system has a built in, over-the-air updated charging station map/finder. I can’t imagine GM would not offer the same.
Still, until the network gets built out, most people will likely do what your brother does.
GM has similar in their MyChevy app for Bolt owners. There is also a thing called Plugshare in the app stores that shows all charging station locations in the US from multiple providers and also Home owners who have their charging stations open for use.
@Nebula:
Really? Home owners offering their charging stations to the public? Cool!
If there was an Internet a Century ago, I suspect a lot of conversation on sites like this would have centered on cars-against-horses.
“I don’t want a car! There ain’t no fillin’ stations ’round here!. Besides, M’Horse don’t need no tires.”
There were laws against cars in many areas that made them difficult to own and drive due tip-off unfounded fears.
Some of them were so funny. Like stopping at a road merge and having to shoot a gun to alert people you were merging? Pulling over and placing a cover over a car when a carriage approached as not to alarm the horse….?
I too am not a fan of change but I realize to survive in this world you need to adapt and adapt fast. The tech I use and need at work is crazy crazy. Or should I say at home now as they moved us to work from home. I have meetings with people daily globally from my home and on nice days even my back yard.
If I had stuck to an old flip phone tech like some I would have been lost.
I try to explain this to my mother all of the time. But she’s just old school and feels more comfortable calling and speaking with a representative rather than taking care of it herself on the app. She rather have a notebook and a pen to write everything down and refuses to use her “Notes” app in her iPhone that she’ll always have with her and rarely have to worry about misplacing/replacing. But some people are just stuck in their ways and it’s going to take for them to see a personal day-by-day model and demonstration of how their family can operate like normal with a PHEV daily driver before they ever consider EVs or give them a chance.
It was the same with smartphones. It was the same with flatscreens which people told themselves were “accidents waiting to happen” and refused to spend the thousands to obtain them.