GM "Launching 10 Korean Electric Vehicle Models by 2025"

Kaher Kazem, President of GM Korea, is delivering a video greeting at the Bolt EV Driving Camp event held on the 23rd.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] Kaher Kazem, President of Korea GM, said on the 23rd, "Based on General Motors (GM)'s global electric vehicle portfolio, we are pursuing an electric vehicle market strategy that can expand domestic customers' choices and customer experience."

President Kazem explained the electrification strategy at the headquarters level through a video message at the Driving Camp held at The-K Hotel in Seoul on the same day. GM plans to invest $35 billion (about 41 trillion KRW) by 2025 to introduce 30 electric vehicle models. Kazem said, "Chevrolet opened the era of long-range electric vehicles in the domestic market in 2017 by unveiling the Bolt EV, the only electric vehicle built on a dedicated platform," adding, "Starting with the Bolt EV and EUV introduced today, we will launch 10 electric vehicle models under the GM brand in Korea by 2025."

The company stated that the lineup will cover various models ranging from affordable to sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and high-end models. GM has presented a vision to transform itself from a simple finished car company into a platform innovation company while promoting its electrification strategy. In 2020, it introduced the dedicated electric vehicle hardware platform Ultium, and in October of last year, it announced the evolved software platform Ultifi.

Electric vehicle dedicated platform Ultium developed by GM

Ultium is a hyperscale electric vehicle platform capable of electrifying all modes of transportation, designed with a structure that allows large pouch-type cells to be arranged horizontally or vertically inside the battery pack. Starting with the Cadillac Lyriq and GMC Hummer EV, which are set to be released this year, it will be sequentially applied to the Chevrolet Silverado EV, Equinox EV, and Cadillac Celestiq. The cloud-based software platform Ultifi enables users to wirelessly access vehicle software through smartphone application integration. It will be applied to both internal combustion engine and electric vehicles launching next year.

The Bolt EV, scheduled for domestic delivery in the second quarter of this year, is a vehicle developed by GM aiming for the popularization of electric vehicles. It was designed by Koreans at the Design Center within GM Technical Center Korea and has been recognized for its capabilities. After its domestic launch in 2017, it sold out for three consecutive years.

Korea GM emphasized that although it does not directly produce electric vehicles, it plays an important role in the process of transforming into a platform company. The focus has been on supplying internal combustion engine vehicles with low displacement and high efficiency. The Bupyeong plant currently produces the SUV Trailblazer, and the Changwon plant plans to manufacture crossover vehicles starting next year. At GM Technical Center Korea, about 500 Korean engineers are working on global electric vehicle programs. This center participates in more than 20 global automotive programs in areas such as vehicle design, powertrain systems, and manufacturing equipment design. The company plans to double the workforce here by next year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.