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GM BT1 Vehicle Platform
The BT1 platform, otherwise known as BT1, is an upcoming General Motors electric vehicle architecture designed for pickup trucks and SUVs. It will underpin pickup trucks and SUVs from three GM brands, including Chevrolet, Cadillac, and GMC-Hummer.
The BT1 architecture is a variant of the GM T1 platform that underpins the following vehicles:
- 2019 and newer Chevrolet Silverado
- 2019 and newer GMC Sierra
- 2021 and newer Chevrolet Tahoe
- 2021 and newer Chevrolet Suburban
- 2021 and newer GMC Yukon / Yukon XL
- 2021 and newer Cadillac Escalade
| Names: | GM BT1 platform, BT1, BT1XX |
| Predecessor: | none |
| Successor: | currently none |
| Type: | Body on frame |
| Size: | Full Size |
| Supported vehicle type: | Pickup truck or SUV |
| Layout: | Underfloor battery packs, 2WD (RWD) or AWD |
| Powertrain type: | battery electric, single or dual motor |
| Debut date: | 2020 calendar year |
| On sale date: | 2021 calendar year as 2022 model year |
| Vehicles | |
| Chevrolet: | Pickup truck and SUV |
| GMC: | Hummer pickup truck and potential SUV |
| Cadillac: | Escalade or Escalade-like EV |
| Buick: | none |
An image released by GM in January 2020 teasing the automaker’s “electric future”
The BT1 platform is a variant of the T1 body-on-frame platform. The “B” in the name stands for “battery”.
General Motors developed the T1 architecture to accommodate battery electric powertrain configurations, with BT1 being the natural progression of the platform.
The architecture is capable of supporting various battery electric powertrain types, including single and dual motor configurations, along with pickup truck and UV body styles.
Internally with GM, some projects associated with BT1 are referred to as “Project O”, in referencing to Chevrolet Camaro chief engineer Al Oppenheiser, who is believed to have been reassigned to the BT1 program around 2018-2019.
BT1 supports various battery electric powertrains.
One of the powertrains that will be used by BT1-based vehicles is a dual-motor configuration making roughly 1,000 horsepower.
Anticipated applications of the BT1 platform include:
Chevrolet
- Electric pickup truck, potentially an electric Chevrolet Silverado
GMC
- Electric GMC-Hummer pickup truck
- Electric GMC-Hummer SUV
Cadillac
- Electric Cadillac Escalade variant
All GM vehicles based on the BT1 platform are expected to be assembled it the GM Detroit-Hamtramck plant. The facility will become GM’s first factory to produce only electric vehicles.
