General Motor announces its new electric battery system and chassis they call “Ultium”. They show a large chassis with off-road tires that cradles the new electric components. Is this the next 2022 GMC Hummer EV chassis? Let’s take a closer look!
2022 GMC Hummer EV
GMC already announced that the upcoming electric Hummer that should go on sale in late 2021 will pack 1,000 horsepower, 11,500 lb-ft of torque, and be capable of a 3.0 second 0-60 MPH acceleration. The new truck will make its world debut on May 20, 2020. This is basically all we know about the new Hummer so far. Could the new “Ultium” battery announcement shed more light on the subject?
Ultium is a modular system that allow various sizes of battery packs – from 50 kWh to 200 kWh. It also allows for different voltage systems and charging speeds.
This chassis has a central frame with an in-board electric motor assembly in the front with independent suspension and air spring/shocks setup. Presumably, the air suspension will be height adjustable, but it’s not obvious from the image we have from General Motors.
The battery pack is in the center of the vehicle. This is basically GM’s version of an electric modular “skateboard” platform. This week’s announcement says that the battery packs will be as large as 200 kWh. This is about twice the energy capacity of what Tesla is currently using. GM also says that some of their electric vehicles will have a driving range of up to 400 miles. It’s not clear what the Hummer EV driving range will be.
Behind that is another electric motor assembly with independent suspension that appears to mimic the front.
GM also revealed this graphic alongside the Ultium announcement. The profile graphic suggests that the new electric platform will underpin many different types of vehicles, including crossovers, cars, vans, and more.
This new announcement also says that the truck version of the Ultium platform will have a 800-volt battery pack and 350 kW fast-charging capability. This will allow for quick charging times for a battery that can be as large as 200 kWh.
GM is also working on reducing the cost of the batteries to under $100 per kWh. We may have to wait until May 20, 2020 to learn any more official details and actually see the production-intent Hummer EV.
