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GM Reveals Three New Motors That Will Power Its Future EVs

General Motors is reaffirming its commitment to electrifying its vehicles today as it revealed three brand new electric motors that will power its next-gen EVs. The automotive giant wants to have as many as 30 EVs in its roster which it will sell around the world by 2025 and many of them will be powered by one (or more) of these newly unveiled motors.

The first of the motors is specifically designed for front-wheel drive applications, it makes 180 kW (241 hp). It is a permanent magnet motor that is said to offer excellent torque, according to GM, although no actual torque figure has been provided yet.

The most powerful of the three motors is the 255 kW (341 hp) that will find its way into the upcoming GMC Hummer EV; it will have three of these motors for a combined output of 1,000 horsepower, according to the manufacturer.

The third motor is not a permanent magnet motor, but an induction motor instead. It only makes 62 kW (83 hp), and it’s designed to be used in an all-wheel drive EV. General Motors describes it as an assist motor, and from what we understand, since it is an induction motor, it can easily coast when not powered and when power is required, it can provide it without having to mechanically clutch and then declutch.

General Motors President Mark Reuss was present at the official event dedicated to the new motor trio and he said

20 years of electric drive system development and more than 100 years of high-volume vehicle engineering are helping GM pivot quickly from conventional vehicles to EVs. Our vertical integration in this space, encompassing both hardware and software, helps give us control over our own destiny and a significant competitive advantage.

GM also points out that its aim with the two larger motors is also to reduce the need for rare earth materials, although it did not detail how exactly this will be achieved. Aside from the Hummer EV that’s directly mentioned in the press release, we also expect these motors to be used in other soon-to-be-launched EVs from GM, such as the Cadillac Lyriq (that recently became available for order).

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