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GM BEV2 Vehicle Platform
The BEV2 vehicle architecture is a General Motors platform designed to underpin electric vehicles. The platform was engineered from the ground up to underpin electric cars.
Short for Battery Electric Vehicle 2 and sometimes spelled with Roman Numerals like BEVII, the platform made its debut with the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV, and underpins four other GM battery electric vehicles, including the Chevrolet Menlo EV, Chevrolet Bolt EUV, Buick Velite 6, and Buick Velite 7.
| Production: | 2017-Present |
| Driveline: | Front-Mounted Electric Motor, Battery Under Floor, Front-Wheel-Drive |
| Class: | Subcompact, Compact, Midsize, Full-Size |
| Vehicle Type: | Car, Crossover |
| Predecessor: | Gamma II (in Chevrolet Spark EV) |
| Successor: | BEV3 |
Overview
It is believed that BEV II was designed to support electric vehicles of all shapes and sizes, from subcompacts like the Bolt EV to compact midsize, and even full-size cars. The flexible approach utilizes what is referred to as a “skateboard” design in engineering circles.
Notable components of the platform include:
- Electric motor mounted in the front of the vehicle, under the “hood” of a conventional car
- Battery placed under the floor of the vehicle
- MacPherson strut suspension in the front and torsion-beam arrangement at the rear, though the latter could potentially be changed for other vehicle types
- Front-wheel-drive configuration, though all-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive is theoretically possible
- Flexible wheelbase configurations
- Extensive use of high-strength steels
Development
GM initially started out developing the Bolt EV on the Gamma 2 platform, but as development progressed, engineers created a new platform now known as BEV2, which doesn’t share components with Gamma.
“There are no Bolt EV parts tied to the G2 architecture,” lead product engineer Josh Tavel was quoted as saying. In another interview, Tavel stated that the Bolt EV shares the liquid sound deadener with other Gamma platform vehicles.
Interestingly, the Bolt is assigned the G2UC-E internal program code, which decrypts as:
- G2 – Gamma 2 platform (underpins the Chevrolet Spark, Sonic/Aveo, Trax/Tracker and Buick Encore
- U – utility body style
- C – Chevrolet brand
- E – Electric Vehicle
Though the program code indicates that the Bolt uses the G2 platform, the discrepancy is explained by the fact that the Bolt EV program originated on the Gamma architecture, but then evolved to create its own platform, even as the vehicle program maintained the G2UC-E code.
Technical Details
In the 2017-2019 Bolt EV, the BEV 2 platform features the 60 kWh lithium-ion battery/rechargeable battery system and an electric drive unit that makes 200 horsepower (150 kW) and 266 pound-feet of torque (360 N-m). For the 2020 model year, an improvement in battery chemistry bumped the battery to 66 kWh, delivering a 21-mile increase in driving range to 259 miles on a single charge compared to 2017-2019 models.
In the 2020 Chevrolet Menlo EV and Buick Velite 6, BEV2 features a 52.5 kWh rechargeable battery pack and an electric motor rated at 148 horsepower and 258 pound-feet torque.
Vehicle Applications
| Year | Make | Model | Powertrain | Horsepower (hp / kW) | Torque (lb-ft / Nm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 – 2019 | Chevrolet | Bolt EV | 60 kWh Battery | 200 / 150 | 266 / 360 |
| 2019 – Present | Buick | Velite 6 | 52.5 kWh Battery | 181 / 135 | 280 / 380 |
| 2020 – Present | Chevrolet | Bolt EV | 66 kWh Battery | 200 / 150 | 266 / 360 |
| 2020 – Present | Chevrolet | Menlo EV | 52.5 kWh Battery | 148 / 110 | 258 / 349 |
| 2021 – Present | Chevrolet | Bolt EUV | 66 kWh Battery | TBD | TBD |
| 2021 – Present | Buick | Velite 7 | 66 kWh Battery | 175 / 130 | 266 / 360 |
GM BEV2 platform News
-
Chevy Bolt EV Has Sold Over 100,000 Units Globally Since Launch
Chevy’s first EV hits six figures in a little over four years.
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Buick Velite 7 vs. Chevy Bolt EUV: Side By Side Comparison
These two platform mates look very different.
No Body Panels Are Shared Between 2022 Bolt EV And Bolt EUV
Appearances can be deceptive.
