The 2022 GMC Hummer EV Edition 1 is launching soon, and we’ve spilled no shortage of ink (pixels?) in reporting on the upcoming electric pickup truck. With 1,000 horsepower on tap, the Hummer EV Edition 1 is easily the most powerful production vehicle General Motors has so far announced, but how the power is generated to the wheels has been a bit of a vague detail. That all changes with the debut of these new GM Ultium Drive electric vehicle motors.
GM Ultium Drive Motors. Image via General Motors.## New GM Ultium Drive Motors: The Details
Designed by GM and calibrated in-house, the lineup consists of a 180-kilowatt hour front drive motor, a 255 kW rear and front drive motor, and a 62 kW all wheel drive assist motor. GM says that all three motors were built to be scalable so as to apply to future vehicle models and variations to come later. They also share similar manufacturing characteristics to simplify and streamline the production output.
The first two “bigger” motors will be permanent fixtures utilizing magnets to cut down on dependence on rare materials. The “smaller” 62kW motor will be an induction motor, all three are expected to offer superb torque and power. The GMC Hummer EV Edition 1 will utilize three 255-kW motors to send 1,000 horsepower to all four wheels. It’s safe to assume that the Chevrolet Silverado EV and GMC Sierra EV, along with the Cadillac Escalade EV, will also utilize these motors as well.
Other elements, such as the charging module and accessory power, will be positioned outside those units. This is in an effort to reduce overall cost and manufacturing complexity, ensuring ease of production and simplified assembly. The motors are also going to lighten overall vehicle weight. Some electronics will show a 50 percent decrease in mass with an expected 25 percent rise in output.
General Motors used computer assisted virtual engineering to move quickly and develop software ready for the road. The proof of concept is the Hummer EV, which began development in 2019, and is starting production at the end of this year with the Edition 1; an unprecedented timeline. Some artificial intelligence and machine learning, for example, also helped provide the ability to both off road and daily commute the GMC Hummer Hummer EV.
Image via General Motors.
