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GM BT1 Vehicle Platform

The BT1 platform is a GM platform designed for large electric pickup trucks and SUVs. It underpins pickup trucks and SUVs from three GM brands, including Chevrolet, Cadillac, and GMC, including GMC-branded Hummer EV models.

Names: GM BT1 platform, BT1, BT1XX
Predecessor: none
Successor: (currently) none
Type: Ultibody (body on battery)
Supported vehicle type: Large pickup truck, large SUV
Layout: Skateboard type
Powertrain type: battery electric, single, dual or triple motor
Debut date: 2020 calendar year
On sale date: 2021 calendar year as 2022 model year
Vehicles
Chevrolet: Silverado EV, Tahoe EV (expected), Suburban EV (expected)
GMC: Hummer EV Pickup, Hummer EV SUV, Sierra EV
Cadillac: Escalade IQ, Escalade IQL
Buick: none

Overview

General Motors developed the T1 architecture from the ground up to accommodate battery electric vehicles. Placing the battery packs within the floor, BT1 is a mix of unibody and “body on battery” platform that GM internally refers to as UltiBody. During assembly, the battery pack is lifted into the vehicle and then bolted into its body.

Powertrain

BT1 supports various GM Ultium batteries and GM Ultium Drive motors ranging from a dual motor configuration to a triple-motor setup making 1,000 horsepower.

Vehicle Applications

Current and anticipated applications of the BT1 platform include:

GMC

Cadillac

Buick

  • None (expected)

Production

GM vehicles based on the BT1 platform are or will be assembled at the following GM plants:

Ultium Branding

General Motors does not publicly refer to the BT1 platform by its name. Instead, GM has been branding BT1 as the Ultium Platform, a term that can either refer to vehicles on the BT1 architecture, those on the unibody BEV3 platform.

(Lack Of) Relationship To T1

Contrary to its name, the BT1 architecture is not a variant of and shares no parts with the GM T1 platform that underpins internal combustion engine vehicles such as:

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