General Motors today welcomed Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette to the Estes Engineering Center battery lab in Warren, Michigan and showcased its commitment to an all-electric future. The visit included a comprehensive tour of the company’s electric vehicle battery manufacturing facilities, domestic supply chain development, electric vehicle infrastructure and EV design.
In addition to the tour, Secretary Brouillette announced $139 million in federal funding for 55 projects across the country that will support new and innovative advanced vehicle technologies. A General Motors study focused on developing fiber-reinforced composites for high-volume manufacturing of structural battery enclosures was awarded a portion of the grant.
“We appreciated the opportunity to demonstrate to Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette our unwavering commitment to a zero-emissions, all-electric future,” said Doug Parks, GM executive vice president of Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain. “General Motors’ capital investment, research and advanced designs result in a broad portfolio of EVs with more flexibility than ever before.”
In reaction to the federal grant announcement, Parks remarked: “We applaud the U.S. Department of Energy’s support of advanced vehicle technologies. This effort will support GM’s R&D study on structural battery enclosures using fiber-reinforced composites at scale. Developing lighter, stronger and less expensive battery enclosures is another step toward realizing our vision of a zero-emissions future.”
Parks provided Brouillette with a tour of GM’s state-of-the-art battery lab, where the company recently invested $1.5 billion to expand and enhance its testing lab and research and development facilities. Brouillette also received a behind-the-scenes look at GM’s proprietary Ultium battery, which will power its next generation of electric vehicles. The Ultium battery cells will be produced as part of a joint venture with LG Chem at a new facility in Lordstown, Ohio.
Michael Simcoe, GM vice president of Global Design, then guided Secretary Brouillette through the GM Design Dome to preview several future electric vehicles. GM reiterated its commitment to an all-electric future by confirming an investment of $20 billion in capital and engineering resources allocated to electric and autonomous vehicle programs between 2020 and 2025.
SOURCE: General Motors