In a virtual keynote today at CES 2022, General Motors Chair and CEO Mary Barra outlined the waves of change that are coming as society moves toward the mass adoption of electric vehicles. GM, a company transitioning from automaker to platform innovator, provided a view of EV technology’s inflection point at CES one year ago.
“Technology driven by purpose will change the world,” said Deborah Wahl, GM global chief marketing officer. “GM is redefining how people and goods are moved. Our commitment to a vision of a world with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion has positioned us to lead. As we implement our growth strategy, we have an opportunity and, frankly, an obligation to create a better future for generations to come. That’s the Ultium Effect.”
Headlining GM’s CES 2022 is the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV. This reimagined full-size pickup was developed from the ground up and leverages the power of GM’s Ultium Platform. At launch, the Silverado EV will be available in two configurations, an RST First Edition and a fleet-oriented WT model – both offer a revolutionary mix of performance, capability, technology and style. The Silverado EV will offer an expected GM-estimated 400-mile range on a full charge1 along with 10.2kW of offboard power, available four-wheel steering, fixed-glass roof, Multi-Flex Midgate with a load floor of up to 10 feet, 10 inches when combined with the Multi-Flex Tailgate, a large, 17-inch-diagonal LCD freeform infotainment screen, and the latest vehicle technologies that can evolve over time.
Additional news and topics showcased at CES include:
– GM’s plan to reach leadership in EV market share in the U.S. that, beyond the Chevrolet Silverado EV, will include a Chevrolet Equinox EV SUV with an estimated MSRP starting around $30,000 in the U.S. as well as a larger Chevrolet Blazer EV SUV. Both Equinox EV and Blazer EV will be available in 2023. These three products will place Chevrolet EVs in the industry’s two largest segments and one of the fastest growing segments in the U.S.
– GM is working to build an EV movement beyond its retail business through the BrightDrop ecosystem, the Chevrolet Silverado EV Work Truck, and even component sales for commercial and recreational vehicles. Customers planning to place fleet orders include FedEx and Walmart (BrightDrop EV600) as well as Enterprise and Quanta (Chevrolet Silverado EV).
– Supported by the Chevrolet brand’s rapidly expanding EV portfolio, GM intends to lead in electric vehicles. With GM’s EV portfolio today and just on the horizon – including BrightDrop electric vans, Chevrolet Silverado EV, Equinox EV, Blazer EV, Bolt EV and EUV, along with GMC Sierra EV, GMC HUMMER EVs and Cadillac LYRIQ and CELESTIQ – GM believes that no other automaker today matches the depth and range of GM’s growing all-electric portfolio.
– GM and Cruise are pursuing a comprehensive path to autonomous mobility with the aim to deliver the first personal autonomous vehicle from General Motors as soon as mid-decade.
– GM and Cruise’s continued work together will create economies of scale that lower costs and increase quality of Cruise’s rideshare and delivery networks while bringing the positive impacts of autonomous vehicles to a larger audience.
– Super Cruise remains on track to be available on 22 models across GM brands by 2023, while Ultra Cruise, which will enable door-to-door hands free driving, enters production in 2023, with the Ultium-based Cadillac CELESTIQ ultra-luxury sedan being among the first models to be equipped with the technology.
– GM will be the first company to use Qualcomm Technologies’ Snapdragon Ride™ Platform for advanced driver assistance technology, defined by software developed in-house by GM. Co-developed by GM and Qualcomm for Ultra Cruise, the new compute architecture will have the processing capability of several hundred personal computers, but is only about the size of two laptops placed on top of one another.
– The expansion of Cadillac’s Halo Concept Portfolio with the InnerSpace and OpenSpace autonomous vehicles. These two new concepts build on the PersonalSpace vertical takeoff and landing vehicle and the SocialSpace personal autonomous vehicle introduced at CES last year, and together the four illustrate a potential future for multimodal luxury travel when GM’s Ultium EV and Ultifi software platforms are fused with autonomous driving technology.
New examples of possible customer experiences enabled by Ultifi, GM’s end-to-end vehicle software platform that enables frequent and seamless delivery of software-defined features, services and ownership experiences. Theoretical vehicle modes include “Max Power Mode,” which recalibrates electric vehicles for quicker acceleration; “Choose Your Own Adventure Mode,” which creates a scavenger hunt to discover shops, restaurants or landmarks; and “Planetarium Mode,” which uses a vehicle’s GPS to project nearby constellations onto vehicle screens.
“We are witnessing what’s possible when innovators and problem solvers embrace the opportunity to change the world, knowing they have the tools and technology to do precisely that,” stated Wahl. “With that capability comes the responsibility to use it. GM’s Ultium Platform means we no longer need to imagine a zero-emissions future; we can start building it.”
