Super Cruise uses a combination of sensors, cameras and high-precision mapping to determine the vehicle’s position on the road. Lidar sensors, radar and stereo cameras capture images of the vehicle’s surroundings, while GPS and navigation sensors allow the system to know the precise position of the vehicle on the map.

This data is combined to create a detailed model of the driving environment, including road lines, traffic signs and surrounding vehicles. Once it has determined the car’s position, the autonomous driving control is activated to control speed and road position. Also, it handles following distance and lane change.

Related content:General Motors Patents Electric Vehicle Technology for Dual Charging Ports

However, the driver still has the responsibility to monitor the autonomous driving system. In fact, they are expected to be alert and ready to take control in case of need.

To do this, Super Cruise employs a driver attention sensor to ensure that the person is paying attention to the road. If it detects that he or she is not concentrating, the system will issue a series of warnings for the driver to take control of the car.

Additionally, this General Motors tool integrates an advanced lane following function, which uses lane detection to keep the vehicle in the right place. It can also change lanes autonomously as long as the change signal is activated, and of course, it is safe to do so.

In addition, Super Cruise has an obstacle detection system that helps avoid potential collisions. In conclusion, this GM technology allows safer and more comfortable road travel, although not all driving responsibility should be left on it.

Written by | Ronald Ortega

The post How Super Cruise Works: Autonomous Driving System from General Motors appeared first on Green Racing News.

This is the case of General Motors, a company that patented an innovation that consists in providing cars with two ports for bidirectional recharging.

These advances seek to exploit the energy storage capacity of electric car batteries to the maximum, so that they not only store energy for the vehicle, but also for other devices.

System Details

According to information published by Green Cars Reports, in the patent filed by General Motors, one of the two charging ports could be configured to charge at 800 V or 400 V; while the second point would be connected to the first one and would be 400 V.

The main port would support up to 350 kW of DC charging, while the other would support up to 22 kW of three-phase AC charging. The second charger could also be upgraded to DC capability so that both could be connected to fast chargers.

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Moreover, the patent indicates that this type of system could soon be extended to other types of motor vehicles, aircraft, boats or even rail vehicles.

The great novelty of the brand compared to others with V2V or V2X charging technologies such as those being developed by Hyundai or Nissan, is that in order to facilitate and accelerate the bidirectional charging process, the vehicles will be equipped with two ports.

Both channels would work simultaneously, to charge the upper and lower battery packs (in this case, each at 400V maximum and not 1200V), and thus reduce supply times.

Another option is for the dual connector to also function as a charger, so that while the main port charges the vehicle, the second could charge another electric car or even power equipment and/or power tools.

It should be noted that this is, in the first instance, a patent, so the project has not yet started in a practical way.

The post General Motors Patents Technology for EVs to Have Two Charging Ports appeared first on Green Racing News.

This is the case of the U.S. company General Motors (GM), which announced this week a large investment of 7 billion dollars for the construction of a battery factory, and the expansion of electric car production capacity at its four plants located in Michigan. 

The impressive amount of financial resources will be used specifically to build a battery cell plant in Lansing and to convert the Orion Township facility to manufacture electric versions of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra models.

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The facility, to be built on General Motors-owned land, will create 1,700 new jobs once it is fully operational, which is expected to be by the end of 2024.

A Bet on the Future

Despite the fact that electric car sales in the United States only accounted for 3% of total vehicles during 2021, the number of electrified ones did register an 89% increase, according to data released by the consulting firm Cox Automotive. 

For this reason, GM has put the meat on the grill with the multi-million dollar investment on innovations. General Motors President and CEO, Mary Barra, said the company’s financial effort demonstrates its commitment to strengthen the industrial presence in Michigan and the United States, as well as to increase the number of well-paying jobs.

She assured that the manufacturer will have the products, battery cell production capacity and vehicle production capacity to be the leader for electric mobility by the middle of this decade.

This is one of the biggest bets on specific projects announced so far by the group, since along with this announcement, GM plans to invest a total of 35 billion dollars between now and 2025 to produce electric and autonomous vehicles.

US Government Gives the Go-ahead

Following the announcement by General Motors, the President of the United States, Joe Biden celebrated the news that will give an economic boost to the automotive industry and will open a large number of jobs.

It is worth noting that at the end of 2021, Biden’s administration signed a decree stating that by 2030, half of the cars in the country will be electric or hybrid, aiming to reduce carbon emissions.

Written by I Jhonattan González

The post General Motors to Invest $7 Billion in Battery Factories and Electric Car Production appeared first on Green Racing News.

Then, mid-course, the auto giant announced a further increase on its investments in electrified cars. The company upped the budget to $35 billion through 2025, 30% more than it announced last November, which will go toward two more new battery factories, the launch of more than 30 new models and the development of third-generation hydrogen fuel cells.

As part of those well-entrenched policies, GM released a rare update on its new Cadillac Lyriq, a highly anticipated all-electric SUV based on the Ultium platform.

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The automaker reported that the vehicle program is reaching the final steps before production, and released new video footage of the latest prototype.

The first deliveries of Lyriq are expected to begin in the second quarter of 2022, for which an update on testing and validation leading up to construction was released.

Pre-launch Adjustments

Through a statement, General Motors detailed that Cadillac engineers recently completed the 80 percent validation drive for the 2023 Lyriq, a critical milestone in the development of the brand’s first luxury electric vehicle, which sets a transition to the final stage before manufacturing. 

Jamie Brewer, Lyriq’s Executive Chief Engineer commented on the program, that they have spent countless hours behind the wheel of the test fleet to ensure they offer customers a comprehensive luxury experience expressed in an all-new electrified package. 

“We are now fine-tuning Lyriq’s touch points. We’re making adjustments in a variety of areas as we do after each development push, but we’re almost there. Customers will love this driving experience and we believe it will redefine their expectations for luxury electric vehicles,” he said.

The car will be offered with a 100 kWh battery pack that will enable more than 300 miles of range on the first available version, which will be rear-wheel drive. Future versions of the vehicle are expected to be made up of an all-wheel drive powertrain.

Charging capability is also very good with an onboard 19.2 kW charger, which will give the Lyriq access to best-in-class Tier 2 supply. It can also charge up to 190 kW with Level 3 DC fast-dispenser.

Written by I Jhonattan González

The post General Motors Prepares the Launch of the Cadillac Lyriq appeared first on Green Racing News.

This represents a far-sighted vision by the American manufacturer, because when electric cars cease to be a ‘small project’ in less advanced countries regarding this issue and become a sales model on a global scale, the shortage of metals extracted from rare earths for sustainable engines could become a problem.

General Motors thought big and chose to develop the Ultium engine technology to power its next generation of electrified power units. The smallest of this family is capable of delivering 62 kW (83 horsepower) with all-wheel drive as its main virtue.

The first one offers 180 kW (240 horsepower), while the last one offers 255 kW (342 horsepower). Notably, both can be located on either axle of the platform and feature permanent magnet technology.

Related content: General Motors Enters Zero-Emission Electric Car Challenge

While one is more advanced than the other, all three powertrains are assembled within design parameters despite having different power levels and technological uses. The first GM vehicle to use the Ultium family of engines is expected to be the Hummer EV with three Ultium units.

“A problem with so many variables can be solved in different ways (regarding rare earths). If you look at the amount of neodymium and additives like lithium, dysprosium terbium that we use, you will see that it is a minimal amount, just where it is needed to get the greatest effect. We have a safe, sustainable, ethically sourced material guaranteed with audits,” says Tim Grewe, Director of Global Battery Systems and Electrification at General Motors.

About General Motors

General Motors is a global company committed to providing safer, better and more sustainable ways for people to get around. General Motors, its subsidiaries and joint ventures sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Holden, Baojun and Wuling brands.

Written by | Ronald Ortega

The post General Motors Betting Big on Ultium Technology for Electric Motors appeared first on Green Racing News.

In collaboration with Lockheed Martin, GM plans to develop an electric lunar rover for NASA astronauts to operate to explore the natural satellite.

Although it may sound new, GM is no stranger to developing vehicle technologies for the Moon. The automaker previously created the inertial guidance and navigation systems for the entire Apollo program, including the human landing on the watershed in 1969.

Additionally, GM helped develop the electric Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) that was used on the Apollo 15-17 missions.

Lockheed Martin is not far behind being one of the largest aerospace and technology companies on both this planet and its Moon. Lockheed Corporation and Martin Marietta previously existed as separate entities prior to a merger in the 1990s.

While most of its work is dedicated to the United States Department of Defense, NASA remains a predominant contractor.

With the first manned mission of the Artemis Program launching in 2024, both GM and Lockheed Martin plan to use their previous experience to provide astronauts with the spacecraft to explore the Moon further than any human has ever gone before.

In an official GM press release, the companies announced their participation in the Artemis Moon missions and their plans to deliver the Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV), the first of several vehicles for NASA’s most recent lunar program.

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“This alliance brings together powerhouse innovation from both companies to make a transformative class of vehicles. Surface mobility is critical to enable and sustain long-term exploration of the lunar surface. These next-generation rovers will dramatically extend the range of astronauts as they perform high-priority science investigation on the Moon that will ultimately impact humanity’s understanding of our place in the solar system,” said Rick Ambrose, Executive Vice President of Lockheed Martin Space.

For his part, Alan Wexler, senior vice president of Innovation and Growth at General Motors, explained that GM made history by applying advanced technology to the vehicle and they hope that it can support American astronauts on a new trip to the Moon.

Written by | Gabriel Sayago

The post No limits for them! General Motors announces electric vehicle for the Moon appeared first on Green Racing News.

When GM announced the new electric vehicles, the automaker announced that it expected the new Bolt EV to have an EPA-estimated range of 259 miles (417 km) on a single charge.

As for the Bolt EUV, the new electric crossover built on the same platform as the Bolt EV, GM expected a slightly lower range of 250 miles (402 km) on a charge. The car is slightly larger than the Bolt EV, however it runs on the same transmission and battery pack, so it is expected to have a slightly shorter range.

Official EPA estimates have now been released, and GM was right up there with the Bolt EV, but it was a bit off with EUV, which received an EPA range estimate of 247 miles. In terms of efficiency, the Bolt EV and Bolt EUV will perform among their peers.

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According to various reports, the American company is about to start production, it has been talking about deliveries to dealerships in the United States in the early summer with a starting price of $ 31,995 for the Bolt EV and $ 33,995 for the Bolt EUV.

It should be noted that the initial price is only that suggested by the company, however the final price is determined by the dealers and customers interested in the vehicle.

The Bolt EV and Bolt EUV are GM’s latest EVs based on its previous EV platform, but the construction giant does not stop there. Now the company has begun rolling out its new Ultium platform, starting with the Hummer EV later this year.

Written by | Gabriel Sayago

The post General Motors’ Chevy Bolt EV and EUV Get Official EPA ranges appeared first on Green Racing News.