GM Head: Ultium EVs still on track for 2023

[southernnaturelover]

Originally Posted by OyCrumbler

Yea, and I hope if they do, they do it as a new generation of the Bolt hatchback. Something of roughly its size, but with a heat pump. even higher efficiency and higher charge rates would be fantastic.

7 Ultium vehicles this year seems reasonable, but I think the problem is more in how many total units they'll produce. They soft-launched the Lyriq with a NDA for first adopters who can get prices reduced on the vehicle if they report to GM and *not* to media sources so that they can work out the kinks which is an interesting way to go about trying to get real world miles and testing before committing to full production. Now that it's had about a year's worth of slow production and testing and with the federal tax credit available, I'd expect it to ramp up production over the years. However, I'm less sure about how much ramping up the cheaper entries will do, because they probably are keeping for some of the same battery supplies and hardware with what is probably the higher margin vehicles for Cadillac and Hummer, so unless GM has secured a very solid supply chain pipeline, I'd think that it'd be geared towards the higher profit margin vehicles first, and whatever else they have in supply then goes into production of the lower margin Ultium vehicles beyond a nominal amount needed to say that they have started production.

I think heat pumps would be fine for those of us in the southern half of the country, but for those up north, I don't think it would be adequate. It's the same reason homes up north typically don't use them.

I did see something interesting in the Subaru Solterra. I think it's basically a resistance heater built into the bottom of the steering column, which warms the drivers legs. I can see it being useful if you're the only one in the vehicle.

[OutdoorLover]

Originally Posted by OyCrumbler

Yea, and I hope if they do, they do it as a new generation of the Bolt hatchback. Something of roughly its size, but with a heat pump. even higher efficiency and higher charge rates would be fantastic.

7 Ultium vehicles this year seems reasonable, but I think the problem is more in how many total units they'll produce. They soft-launched the Lyriq with a NDA for first adopters who can get prices reduced on the vehicle if they report to GM and *not* to media sources so that they can work out the kinks which is an interesting way to go about trying to get real world miles and testing before committing to full production. Now that it's had about a year's worth of slow production and testing and with the federal tax credit available, I'd expect it to ramp up production over the years. However, I'm less sure about how much ramping up the cheaper entries will do, because they probably are keeping for some of the same battery supplies and hardware with what is probably the higher margin vehicles for Cadillac and Hummer, so unless GM has secured a very solid supply chain pipeline, I'd think that it'd be geared towards the higher profit margin vehicles first, and whatever else they have in supply then goes into production of the lower margin Ultium vehicles beyond a nominal amount needed to say that they have started production.

I hadn't heard about this Lyriq introduction strategy, but it's not a bad idea - lowers risk. So long as they couch things properly in public statements so that investors aren't getting nervous about "missed production targets", if that was actually the plan all along.

I have no info on GM's battery supplies, and I can understand your prediction of how things could go if supplies are tight. GM announced not too long ago though that the Ultium platform will be used to power stationary energy offerings. So I assume they *think* they have things covered on batteries at least.

[OyCrumbler]

Originally Posted by southernnaturelover

I think heat pumps would be fine for those of us in the southern half of the country, but for those up north, I don't think it would be adequate. It's the same reason homes up north typically don't use them.

I did see something interesting in the Subaru Solterra. I think it's basically a resistance heater built into the bottom of the steering column, which warms the drivers legs. I can see it being useful if you're the only one in the vehicle.

This is inaccurate. There are multiple EVs out there with heat pumps now in northern climates who have registered notable winter efficiency and range improvements due to heat pumps. It's also inaccurate in terms of homes as well, but for somewhat different reasons. Heat pumps over the last couple of decades have dramatically improved and starting about a decade ago, heat pump units specifically meant for colder climates that were launched in various East Asian countries two or three decades ago started making their way to the US. These are meant to operate at far lower minimum temperatures and higher efficiencies than the ones of the past that were mostly relegated to warmer climates. They're now a relatively common alternative in new construction or when changing out to a new heating system. Of course, this is where I need to put that caveat that if you live in Fairbanks, Alaska or a place with similar climate where -40F is common and -60F isn't unheard of, even a modern heat pump is not going to be enough for either home or vehicle for a chunk of the year. Northern climates as in the vast majority of the contiguous US, Hawaii, and the Alaskan panhandle can do well with heat pumps though.

More targeted resistance heating is also another pathway. So are double-paned windows. So's a larger capacity battery. For a Bolt successor, I think a heat pump would be great and I'm not sure it would need a larger capacity battery as I'd rather it have the same capacity, but just less battery weight and volume and just more efficient overall.

[Lincolnian]

I like the styling and size of the Trailblazer. It would be nice if an AWD EV version of it makes its way into the line up.