[CES 2021] GM’Development of 1,000km-long battery in cooperation with LG’

Keynote Speech Mobility Blueprint Announced

UAM advances such as vertical take-off and landing drones

Audi e-tron GT concept revealed

Company, introduced self-charging solar power system

General Motors (GM) of the United States, which was one of the’pronouns’ of traditional automakers, has announced a plan to release a next-generation high-efficiency battery that can drive about 1,000 km on a single charge. It also presented a blueprint to realize a ‘3 Zero’ society without traffic accidents, traffic jams, and carbon emissions through electrification and autonomous driving. By developing a vertical take-off and landing drone (VTOL), it enters the urban air mobility (UAM) business, and launches electric commercial vehicles to foster the logistics business as a new growth engine.

On the 12th (local time), at a keynote speech at the world’s largest electronic and information technology (IT) exhibition’CES 2021′ held online, GM announced plans to transform into a future mobility company. GM, which had a strong image of an inefficient internal combustion locomotive company, is evaluated as a leading future mobility company through radical restructuring and large-scale future car conversion investments in recent years. In this CES 2021 keynote, GM presented a more concrete future business blueprint.

GM Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Mary Bara said on this day, “GM’s vision for the future is to create a world with zero traffic accidents, zero emissions, and zero congestion.” It is technological advances that accelerate the vision, and GM has an Ultium platform.” Next, GM Research Group Manager Mei Kai set up a joint venture with LG Energy Solutions to explain the ultimate battery and platform that it produces. With the Ultium platform and battery, GM can create an electric vehicle that can travel up to 720 km on a single charge. He said about the Ultium battery cell, “It supplies power at 40% less cost and 25% less weight than conventional electric batteries.” “Aluminum reduces our dependence on cobalt by 70%, so it is sufficient for increasing demand in the electric vehicle era. Can be solved.”

“We are already working on a next-generation high-energy battery that further reduces our dependence on cobalt and nickel,” said Kai. “This next-generation lithium metal battery has twice the energy density of Ultium battery cells, allowing it to be charged once. It will provide a maximum driving range of 960km.”

GM announced its intention to enter the UAM market where Hyundai Motors is working hard. “We are preparing a world that makes air travel possible by developing GM’s first air vehicle VTOL.” The VTOL under development by GM is expected to have air-to-air and air-to-ground communications and use a 90kwh electric motor to drive four propellers. GM announced that it will release an electric car version of Hummer, formerly referred to as “oil-eating hippo,” and a Lyric and Celestic electric car from the luxury brand Cadillac.

The logistics service’Bright Drop’ was also announced as a new business. It is a business structure that helps transportation and logistics companies transport goods more efficiently through electric vehicles. To this end, GM is planning to manufacture and mass-produce an auxiliary electric vehicle EP1 for’Last Mile’ logistics and a lightweight electric commercial vehicle EV600 for long-distance delivery.

Other automakers have also announced their own future mobility vehicles. Audi unveiled the concept of a pure electric vehicle e-tron GT from the high-performance brand RS. It is an electric vehicle created by the collaboration between Audi and Porsche and shares a platform with the Porsche sports car Taycan. German electric mobility start-up Sono Motors announced the solar electric vehicle’The Zion’. It is a’self-charging’ solar electric vehicle made through proprietary solar heat treatment technology. With 248 solar cells powered by itself, it travels 34km with a single charge.
/ Reporter Park Hanshin [email protected]

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