GM to launch 20 electric cars by 2023

General Motors has committed itself to launching “at least” 20 new electric cars between now and 2023.

The first two of these will be launched within the next 18 months, and will be “based off learnings from the Chevrolet Bolt.”

A source has told InsideEVs the company’s next EV will be a Buick crossover model using the platform and underpinnings of the Bolt tall hatch.

Expected to feature the same 150kW/361Nm electric motor and 60kWh battery pack as the Bolt, the new Buick model will have range that’s slightly less than the Bolt’s 383km rating from the US EPA. It will also be priced above the Bolt’s US$37,495 ($47,030) starting price, before federal and state tax rebates.

It’s not clear if any of these 20 electric vehicles will be offered down under. Holden’s last electrified offering was the Volt plug-in hybrid, which was discontinued when the second-generation model entered the scene.

The Chevrolet Bolt isn’t offered for sale in Australia or the UK as it was only engineered for left-hand drive.

The company also announced its new SURUS (Silent Utility Rover Universal Superstructure) heavy-duty truck platform concept, which features four-wheel steering, and two electric motors powered via a hydrogen fuel cell.

Honda and GM began working together on hydrogen fuel cell technology in 2013. Since then Honda has launched its second-generation Clarity fuel cell car, and the partners have confirmed a new American fuel cell factory, which is due to come online in 2020.

Mark Reuss, GM’s head of product development, and formerly chief of Holden, said: “General Motors believes in an all-electric future.

“Although that future won’t happen overnight, GM is committed to driving increased usage and acceptance of electric vehicles through no-compromise solutions that meet our customers’ needs.”

The company’s array of new electric cars will form one pillar of its recently announced vision of creating a world with “zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion”.

The first and third parts of the mission statement will be taken care of by GM’s investment in self-driving vehicle technology through its purchase of Cruise Automation, and its Maven car sharing service.

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