GM prioritizes development of electric vehicles in China

Jon Lauckner, GM’s chief technology officer, vice president of Global Research & Development, and president of GM Ventures, said that his company is accelerating the development of electric vehicles in China.
“China has made electrification a key strategy. Electrified vehicles will play a critical role in efforts to conserve and ultimately displace petroleum as the major source of transportation energy,” he said during a presentation at the FISITA 2012 World Automotive Congress in Beijing.
“We will apply innovative technologies to cell design and fabrication, test and validate advanced cell materials provided by suppliers, and ultimately integrate battery cells into future battery systems for our vehicles. We believe the further development of lithium-ion battery technology is possible through improvements in cell chemistry, cell and pack design, and optimization of thermal management. Greater adoption of electrified vehicles requires a greater breadth of offerings; cost reductions in technology for more competitive pricing compared to conventional vehicles; and, of course, more infrastructure for convenient charging,” he said.
 
Advanced Materials Lab, opened by GM in Shanghai in September 2011 and part of the GM China ATC, is engaged in cutting-edge research on battery technology and lightweight materials. GM’s goal is to improve the energy density of its batteries making them smaller, lighter and less costly than today’s batteries.
 
Lauckner unveiled GM’s strategy to provide consumers a variety of choices through a range of vehicles with electrified powertrains globally, which he enumerated at FISITA.
 
GM and Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Co., Ltd. and the Tianjin Eco-City Administrative Committee have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on assessing the real-world application of GM’s EN-V 2.0 concept in the Tianjin Eco-City. (January 4, 2013)