GM reveals plans for 2 new utility vehicles
General Motors is planning two new electric commercial vehicles outside its BrightDrop brand. GM has now officially confirmed the previous rumour that two more battery factories are planned in the USA – without, however, giving any details.
First to the two commercial vehicles: As GM CEO Mary Barra wrote in the ‘CEO Letter’ to shareholders on the occasion of the business figures for the second quarter, they have expanded the product plan with “two new EVs for commercial users and small businesses”.
In the later conference call, Barra gave further details on the two commercial vehicles, according to US media. According to the statement, the battery-electric van will be launched under the Chevrolet brand. No brand has yet been named for the medium-duty commercial vehicle, which will be used as a truck but also as a school bus. But it will not be the BrightDrop electric utility vehicle brand, which was established in early 2021.
“Both will complement BrightDrop and keep our commercial fleet market share growing,” Barra said. “We’ll share more details about these products as we move forward.” On the medium-duty vehicle, however, the GM boss added that it will be launched in both a battery-electric version using the company’s own Ultium cells and a fuel cell from Hydrotec.
GM did not specify when both models would be presented. According to information from CNBC, both vehicles are to go on sale before 2025.
The information on the two additional battery cell factories again goes back to the ‘CEO Letter’. There Barra writes: “We’re adding two battery cell plants in the U.S., beyond the two currently under construction. They will create thousands of good jobs, and we’ll add more capacity as demand grows.”
GM is currently building a battery plant in Ohio through its Ultium Cells joint venture with LG Energy Solution, with work underway since 2020, and a second plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee, was announced in April 2021. The battery factory will be located near the GM vehicle plant there; among other things, the Cadillac Lyriq is built in Spring Hill.
Barra gave another piece of information about this model: Cadillac will start taking orders for the brand’s first electric SUV on 18 September.
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