GM Expanding Into In-House Design and Development of Electric Motors

Betting on a growing eco-conscious consumer market, General Motors is continuing to diversify its business operations with an increasing emphasis on greener technologies. In the latest move in this direction, the company plans to expand its in-house vehicle development capabilities to include the design and manufacture of electric motors.

GM two-mode hybrid technology for the 2010 Chevrolet Tahoe. Image courtesy of automobilemag.com.

GM was selected last August by the U.S. Department of Energy for a $105 million grant for the construction of U.S. manufacturing initiatives to produce electric motors and related drive components.

GM plans to invest approximately $246 million in electric motor and electric drive manufacturing, including the construction of a high volume electric drive production facility at its Baltimore Transmission plant.

“The expansion of the Baltimore plant will generate a significant influx of money and jobs into the greater Baltimore area,” said Tom Stephens, GM vice chairman of global product operations. The company projects that this new initiative will allow it to create approximately 200 new jobs.

“By designing and manufacturing electric motors in-house at Baltimore Transmission, we expect to be able to more efficiently control the design, materials, and production processes,” said Mr. Stephens, adding that, “In addition to growing in-house capabilities, GM will continue to purchase and co-design electric motors with suppliers.”

The first GM-designed and built electric motors at the Baltimore plant will be for next generation, rear-wheel-drive, non-plug-in, two-mode hybrid technology vehicles. These motors are scheduled to debut in 2013.

Two-mode hybrids have a variable transmission with two planetary gearsets added. A planetary gearset is the part that creates all the different gear ratios that the transmission can produce.

These gearsets multiply the torque and provide two operating modes for the motors. The first mode accelerates the vehicle from a standstill to second gear, and the other takes it from second gear to overdrive.

2010 Chevrolet Tahoe. Image courtesy of automobilemag.com.

The company says its new two-mode system will provide “improved fuel efficiency compared to the current two-mode hybrid technology in GM’s full-size pickup trucks and sports-utility.”

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