Earlier this year, General Motors debuted its Ultium Drive electric powertrain systems, a new line of electric drive units that will power the vast majority of future EVs from the American automaker.
The Ultium Drive powertrain systems are a major step forward from the current electric motor and drive unit that is found in the Chevrolet Bolt EV. One of the main differences with these motors is that GM integrated the power electronics into the drive units’ assemblies, reducing the overall mass of the power electronics by nearly 50 percent and improving the packaging of the entire drive unit. Additionally, GM says this design saves costs and increases the average overall capability of an Ultium Drive system by about 25 percent.
“The power and versatility of these drive units will help GM migrate high-output segments like pickup trucks and performance vehicles to all-electric propulsion while providing the bandwidth to propel GM’s EV portfolio well into the future,” the automaker said previously.
The Ultium Drive portfolio of EV drive systems consists of the following five drive systems: assist all-wheel drive, front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, truck FWD/RWD and truck dual motor. These drive units, which consist of the motor(s), inverter, controller and differential, will feature one or more of three motors depending on the application. The three Ultium Drive motor setup will include a primary front-wheel-drive motor, primary rear-wheel-drive motor and all-wheel-drive assist motor.
The versatility of the drive units means they will be able to power a wide range of vehicles, from FWD city cars to AWD performance vehicles and off-road trucks. GM also says the motors will offer “industry-leading torque and power density across a wide spectrum of different vehicle types,” and will have “the bandwidth to propel GM’s EV portfolio well into the future.”
GM has developed its Ultium Drive lineup alongside its new modular Ultium lithium-ion battery technology. Some of the first products to arrive with Ultium motors and batteries will be the new GMC Hummer EV pickup, which will arrive next year, and the Cadillac Lyriq crossover in late 2022. The batteries are being built at GM’s new battery plant under construction in Ohio, which will be operated with supplier LG Chem under a joint venture entity called Ultium Cells LLC.
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Comments
Battery technology and formulations will be critical to the success of any electric car program as you can’t have the battery weighing over 40 percent of the weight of the overall vehicle.
A right comparison not should include only the energy storage but the weight of complete engine, cooling system, fluids, cranking battery, exhaust system, sound, vibration and thermal isolation, transmission, fuel tank, plus the necessary structure and space required to support all of them.
Sounds like This could be the small block Chevy of EVs.
Your saying the small block of EVs would be based on the rear-wheel drive unit? You would think so, I would guess that unit could based on the eCOPO Camaro’s scalable design where you can “stack” the HP in by bolting on more motors!
I’m going to assume the “Assist all-wheel drive unit” is what is going to be going into the C8 E-Ray and Zora.
With how small that package is, the drive unit will fit right at home in the front of the C8.
That as well as cars like the Traverse that currently have front-biased AWD systems. So the AWD assist motor would go in the front of a C8 but the back of a Traverse or any other FWD SUV.
GM is going fully modular with their vehicle production/design and I love it! With stackable batteries, five different motors, eventually just a handful of platforms, and over-the-air updates and fixes, they’re going to be one of the most cost-efficient manufacturers out there. I’m so glad I bought GM stock in March lol. I think it was $17 a share at the time.
Nebula, I have to disagree with you as It is my understanding that the Corvette will have two electric motors one for each of the front wheels and mounted to the front wheel and that the front trunk cavity between the wheels will occupy the battery. This information was gained by talking to two of the Power Train engineers at the Bowling Green assembly plant last July when the then new C8 was introduced to the public.
Of the three car based drive units none would work with the C8 Corvette platform. The Corvette is not an electrical front wheel drive, nor is it an electrical all wheel drive vehicle and it is definitely not an electrical rear wheel drive unit.
I agree with the OLDGMER here, I don’t think GM would be showing their Alpha tech that is going into the Alpha C8 at this point. I’m not so sure it would even be finalized this early in the Alpha C8 development.
I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s not even part of the Ultium Drive powertrain systems portfolio and is it’s own performance based platform all together?
It’s like waiting on those marvelous ribs cooking on the smoker! 😛
The future for this is going to be improvements will continue, prices will come down and parts will be more efficient and smaller.
This is no different than what we have seen with the Cell Phones or TV’s. It will still take time and it is still not for everyone but more will migrate over time.
GM is in a good position and will remain there. Also note they are not giving up on ICE either. It will still be around a good while.
The real need now is the continued seeding of charging and improvement of charge times.
Hopefully California wakes up and realizes it still needs NG power plants to survive. I have heard the Gov is talking about letting them remain. Sun and wind will not cover them even with the politicians blowing.
Is the FWD configuration longitudinally mounted? I see it looks proportionally taller compared to the RWD version, and there is no transmission to cram half-shafts into, correct? no need for a bunch of pulleys, no water pump, no alternator, prob electric PS assist… just AC? Sorry if these are dumb questions, just starting to learn my way around EVs.
Finally GM is ‘Sticking to its Knitting’ – just methodically optimizing the battery cost (to supposedly, under $100 per kilowatt-hour (so a 200 kwh battery on a premium vehicle such as a fancy truck can go 400 miles before needing to stop for $20,000) and even lower costs in the future, as well as getting the Design RIGHT the FIRST time.
I’m impressed with the beefy, and therefore extremely long life bolt motor and gear box (easily handling the unit’s occasional 200 hp requirement) – so if they have IMPROVED on this, while keeping the conservative longevity of the older products – it just has to be good for everyone.
Dealers may be uncomfortable selling such a low-maintenance and reliable product – but hopefully they will be making it up in increased market share – as the products eventually will be deemed by the public as High- Value, and good buys.
I don’t think there is a longitudinal vs transverse with EVs. The motors are fairly small compared to an ICE too. I don’t think there’s a transmission as such either. No drive line. No differntial. (No Radiator. No exhaust pipe. No muffler. No Conveter.) The vehicle can have pretty much whatever proportions the designer wants to give it depending on its purpose and market segment ( Big. Medium.Small. Car. Cuv. Suv, low, medium, high price point, etc.). I think GMs EVs will be taller on the whole since the battery packs are along the bottom, under the floor.
The differentiating factors will be much as they are today. Power, performance, handling. Luxury. Features. Overall design. But now, range will be a whole new aspect of competiton. Charging times will be something makers will boast about too.
“I think GMs EVs will be taller on the whole since the battery packs are along the bottom, under the floor.”
The pack looks significantly taller than the Tesla S’s. I think they traded cheaper minerals for space. So an EV sports coupe will be pretty tall, if it happens at all.
Cheaper to build, cheaper to own, and soon cheaper to buy.
It will NEVER been cheaper to own. It is “Green” so companies will charge a premium for it! It makes them more money and with less investment. It will result in fewer employees, and smaller budgets. It will devolve into a self-fulfilling prophecy of mediocracy
gm must have something up their sleeve because thus far, their EV offerings are underwhelming.
When you do an “in house” electric powertrain systems (new to all veteran auto Mfr’s), you do it first. Then you develop the vehicles around them clean sheet!
The wave is coming!
i hope this big bet pays off for gm.
“All” GM has to do to shorten their development-to-production curve is hire more staff at the development end of the continuum.
I wonder if the ultium “skateboard” will allow us to swap car bodies. Have a single ultium “skateboard” and maybe a convertible body for summer and a truck body for winter? Or, if it truly is a “million mile” battery, could we just buy a new car body for the ultium “Skateboard” after the first car body wears out?