[ferro-alloys.com]General Motors plans to increase its global all-electric vehicle offering to 30 models by 2025 and has increased its financial investment EVs and autonomous vehicles (AVs) to $27 billion over the same period.

GM CEO and Chairman Mary Barra made the announcements Nov. 19 at the virtual Barclays Global Automotive Conference, adding that the investment was up from $20 billion planned before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over half of GM's capital spending and product development team would be devoted to electric and electric-autonomous vehicle programs, and of the 30 EV brands to be made available globally, over two-thirds would be available in North America, she said.

"Climate change is real, and we want to be part of the solution by putting everyone in an electric vehicle," Barra said. "We are transitioning to an all-electric portfolio from a position of strength and we're focused on growth."

She added that GM had the ability to accelerate its EV plans due to its competitive batteries, software, vehicle integration, manufacturing and customer experience.

Barra and GM's executive vice president of global product development, purchasing and supply chain, Doug Parks, also told the conference about other key plans, including increasing the maximum range of its Ultium-based EVs from 400 miles to 450 miles at full charge.

GM's Ultium battery and propulsion technology was unveiled in March, with large-format, pouch-style cells using a proprietary low cobalt chemistry able to be stacked vertically or horizontally inside the battery pack, allowing engineers to optimize battery energy storage and layout for each vehicle design and reducing battery costs.

The company manufactures the cells through its Ultium Cells joint venture with LG Chem.

Ultium

GM is due to start construction of its new battery innovation lab and manufacturing technology center in 2021 where it plans to develop the next-generation Ultium battery chemistry.

The automaker said it had accelerated innovation on the technology despite the pandemic, with it expecting second-generation Ultium packs to be available by mid-decade.

Parks said that GM's second-generation Ultium chemistry was expected to deliver twice the energy density at less than half the cost of today's chemistry, with the automaker already prototype testing this next-generation technology.

GM said the Ultium platform was flexible enough to accept new chemistry and even cell types, without redesigning its architecture, while also being easy to service at the module level, resulting in lower repair costs.

The company is continuing to explore third-party licensing for its Ultium EV architecture, batteries and propulsion systems, along with its Hydrotec fuel cell technology developed with Honda.

Parks said GM's EV development times were accelerating and costs were decreasing, leading the company to expect its Ultium EV programs to be profitable from the first generation onwards.

"It's not just the cost and performance of our innovative EV components that will give us a competitive advantage in a fast-changing industry, but how we integrate them with other advanced systems like Super Cruise, our Vehicle Intelligence Platform electrical architecture and other technologies pioneered in our traditional portfolio," Parks said.

"Ultium is already changing the way customers -- and investors -- view our company," Barra said. "We are resolved as a management team to move even faster to expedite the transition to EVs."

(S&P Global Platts)

• [Editor:王可]