General Motors Chair and CEO Mary Barra delivers the virtual keynote at Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2022, outlining the waves of change that are coming as society moves toward the mass adoption of electric vehicles. 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.
Photo by Steve Fecht for Chevrolet
General Motors (GM), a Detroit-based automotive manufacturing industry titan envisions a very near future where the limitless is possible for drivers and communities looking for sleek vehicle options where zero carbon emissions are the standard and safety is an integral part of their driving experience.
GM, a global company home to Buick, Cadillac, GMC and Chevrolet, has new electric vehicle (EV) releases coming online for this year and next through a virtual announcement from CEO Mary Barra on Wednesday, January 5, at Exhibit Zero: The Ultium Effect. She spoke as a keynote speaker at the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and outlined the waves of change that are coming as society moves toward the mass adoption of electric vehicles.
Back to the Future of EV
Barra said the company’s lofty yet capable goals where technology and people synch up toward a harmonious future filled with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion are a more than plausible reality with a greater goal in mind.
“Why are we doing this?” Barra asked during her keynote address. “To me, it comes down to this: technology driven by purpose can change the world. We no longer have to image [an electric vehicle] future, we’re building it.”
Part of building that EV future includes prioritizing to become carbon neutral by 2040.
“We are creating world-class solutions,” Barra said of that goal.
The central part of the announcement included a major focus on the Ultium battery platform, which will power everything from mass-market to high-performance vehicles.
Barra’s keynote address included the unveiling of the first-ever Chevrolet Silverado EV. The Chevrolet Silverado EV will be powered by GM’S Ultium Platform technology.
“Technology driven by purpose will change the world,” said Deborah Wahl, GM global chief marketing officer in a press release. “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.”
Ultium, which was recently recognized among Fast Company’s “Next Big Things in Tech 2021” underpins vehicles including the GMC HUMMER EV Edition 1 Pickup and the BrightDrop EV600, which were delivered to initial customers late last year, as well as the Cadillac LYRIQ when deliveries begin later this year.
EVs Pave the Way
Since its launch in 2021, BrightDrop, a technology company decarbonizing last-mile delivery, announced it is adding Walmart to its growing roster of customers, and expanding its relationship with FedEx. Walmart signed an agreement to reserve 5,000 of BrightDrop’s EV600 and smaller EV410 electric delivery vans to support the retail giant’s growing last-mile delivery network and goal of operating a zero-emissions logistics fleet by 2040.
FedEx also signed an agreement with BrightDrop reserving priority production for 2,000 electric delivery vans over the next few years.
“Together, we’re truly transforming transportation,” Richard W. Smith, FedEx regional president of the Americas, said of the collaboration.”
“We’re just beginning to scratch the surface of what our two companies can achieve together,” Barra added.
Headlining GM’s CES 2022 is the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV. This reimagined full-size pickup was developed from the ground up. At launch, the Silverado EV will be available in two configurations:
- An RST First Edition
- A fleet-oriented WT model
Both vehicle options offer a mix of performance, capability, technology and style.
The Silverado EV will offer an expected GM-estimated 400-mile range on a full charge 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.
Additional CES highlights featured 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 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.
- 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. In addition to the customers previously mentioned are Enterprise and Quanta (Chevrolet Silverado EV).
- Supported by the Chevrolet brand’s rapidly expanding EV portfolio, GM intends to lead in electric vehicles.
- GM and Cruise are pursuing a comprehensive path to autonomous mobility to deliver the first personal autonomous vehicle from General Motors as soon as mid-decade.
- 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.
Barra said that from automaker to platform maker, “we’re witnessing what’s possible” when it comes to having the capabilities of creating a new range of vehicles for everyone, including the environment.
“I hope everyone feels our passion,” she said of climate equity and an equitable future is available for everyone. “Make no mistake. This is a movement.”
For more information visit https://www.gmexhibitzero.com/en-us.