General Motors has launched its first model, based on its Ultium dedicated EV platform, in China as the US carmaker steps up its efforts to target the country’s fast growing new energy vehicle (NEV) market.
The company launched the Ultium-based Cadillac Lyriq this week with local deliveries set to begin early in 2022.
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It said the batteries and other core components for all Ultium-based vehicles sold in China would be sourced locally as the platform is designed to accommodate different cells to optimise global sourcing and to keep up with new technology as it become available.
GM said in a statement “adding to the platform’s built-in flexibility is an almost wireless battery management system being applied on production EVs for the first time. It can draw on GM’s Vehicle Intelligence Platform to receive over-the-air updates, similar to a smartphone”.
The company confirmed plans to launch 30 EV models based on the Ultium platform worldwide by 2025 with 20 of those expected to become available in China.
GM’s CEO Mary Barra said in a statement “we believe the inflection point of putting everybody in an EV and transitioning to an all-electric future has arrived and GM intends to take the lead”, adding “China is not only the largest vehicle market, it is also a powerhouse of innovation and the frontier of electric intelligent connected vehicle development and deployment”.
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