General Motors is planning to unleash an electrified onslaught of cars in the coming years, announcing on Monday that it’ll push out at least 20 all-electric vehicles by 2023. The first two are expected within the next 18 months, the company said.
The announcement Monday is being framed by GM as a piece of its “vision of a world with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion.” The plan doesn’t go as far as other recent announcements from automakers—Volvo, for example, is aiming to produce only all-electric or hybrid vehicles starting in 2019—but coming from GM, it’s a big deal.
The new models will be a mix of battery electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, the company said in a statement, calling the planned mix a “two-pronged” approach to electrification that addresses customers’ various needs and moves toward achieving a zero emissions 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,” said Mark Reuss, General Motors executive vice president of Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain, in a statement.
The first two electric vehicles GM plans to introduce in the next 18 months will be based off knowledge gained from the all-electric Chevrolet Bolt, GM said. At a press event Monday to announce the event, the company said other vehicles will feature an “all-new battery system,” reports Automotive News.
GM didn’t provide specific details about the new battery system, according to Automotive News, but did offer that one of its battery assembly plants in Michigan is set to begin producing a fuel cell system in 2020.
At the event, according to Automotive News, GM showed off three clay models of vehicles designed for the new propulsion system, including a Buick crossover, Cadillac wagon and a “pod-looking vehicle” carrying a Bolt EV badge. Another six were kept under sheets, the news outlet said, including one that “appeared to have the silhouette of a Chevrolet Corvette.”
We reached out to GM for comment, and we’ll update this post if we hear back.
Update: A spokesperson for GM told Jalopnik that no specifics “related to brands and rollout timing for each of the vehicles” was provided today, “other than to commit to at least 20 zero emission vehicles by 2023.”
This includes both battery electric and fuel cell electric vehicles.
On the infrastructure piece, There are over 1,100 DC Fast chargers in the U.S. that our vehicles can use, a 42% increase in past the 12 months, and we will play a role in accelerating the rollout of additional DC Fast Chargers for our customers.
The spokesperson said GM will have “more to share” on the infrastructure in the “near future.”