DETROIT—General Motors' ambitious electrification plans finally are about to become more than just talk.
Starting with the GMC Hummer EV pickup and a commercial delivery van this year, GM aims to show its full-throated commitment to electric vehicles with an increasingly rapid-fire succession of launches that will put at least 20 battery-powered vehicles into its North American lineup by the end of 2025.
Powering those vehicles will be GM's proprietary Ultium batteries, which were developed with LG Chem and offer 60 percent more power than the batteries in the Chevrolet Bolt, GM has said. Ultium's large format, stackable, pouch-style cells have more flexibility and optimal battery energy storage. The 2022 Hummer pickup, the first Ultium-powered vehicle, will have a GM-estimated 350 miles of range on a full charge.
As Ultium takes over, GM is expected to discontinue the two EVs it now has on the market, the Bolt EV and EUV, which are built on GM's previous-generation EV platform.
After the Hummer debuts, Cadillac will initiate its plan to go all-electric by the end of the decade with the Lyriq crossover early next year. GM will then go for more mainstream customers with an electric Chevy Silverado pickup, likely in 2023, and other EVs it hasn't yet unveiled. Buick is expected to launch its first EV for the North American market with a crossover in 2025. Overall, GM has earmarked $35 billion toward electric and autonomous vehicle development through 2025.
As the plan plays out, GM will have to evaluate the market's appetite for EVs and could make adjustments if adoption is going faster or slower than anticipated.
"Some timing seems more fluid than others so people are ready to make the switch," said Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions.
