General Motors unveils next-gen Ultium Drive electric motors

General Motors has released fresh details concerning its next-generation pure-electric powertrain technology following the reveal of three of its all-new motors.

All three are set to make their official debut in the 2022 GMC Hummer EV that will produce up to 735kW when production begins in the coming months.

The new motors are all said to be part of a scalable family of electric motors that feature shared design and engineering and are made using identical tooling.

The first is a 180kW motor designed to be mounted on the front axle only, the second is a more powerful 255kW that can be used on either the front or rear axle and, finally, the third is a less powerful "all-wheel drive assist motor" that produces just 62kW.

Developing the motors in-house, GM says, has been key to reducing costs and ensuring its future EVs deliver the "highest levels of performance."

As well as the drive units, GM revealed new information about its Ultium Drive motor controllers that have been developed to "determine the most efficient ways to distribute torque in three-motor systems".

Reducing the size of components by up to 50 per cent, the inverter, power electronics, accessory power module and onboard charging model are all integrated in the casing for the Ultium Drive units, saving space and making them easier to package.

Finally, the task of deploying all the power and torque of the triple-motor Hummer EV was deemed so complicated that engineers turned to artificial intelligence and machine learning, plus new GM software that will be reused again in future EVs.