General Motors reveals flexible, affordable, long-range electric car battery

US car giant General Motors has unveiled an all-new electric car battery, capable of offering up to 400 miles (643km) of range in a single charge, with GM claiming it will eventually cost under US$100 per kilowatt hour (kWh).

Part of the third-generation electric car platform unveiled by GM this week, the Ultium battery cells can be used in up to 19 different configurations due to their stackable, pouch-style format and will be used to underpin several of GM's electric car launches over the next three years.

The Ultium batteries range from 50kWh to 200kWh, with GM estimating a top-end range of "400 miles or more" and a 0-60m/h (roughly 0-100km/h) sprint in 3 seconds.

GM has promised that the new technology, produced as part a joint venture between GM and Korean company LG Chem, will "drive battery cell costs below $100/kWh".

"The cells use a proprietary low cobalt chemistry and ongoing technological and manufacturing breakthroughs will drive costs even lower," GM said in a statement.

Given the cost of batteries is one of the major drivers of high electric vehicle prices, this development has the potential to make electric car pricing more competitive in the United States.

GM says its in-house-designed motors will support front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, all-wheel drive and performance all-wheel drive applications.

The Ultium batteries will be utilised in the upcoming GMC Hummer EV, which will be revealed on May 20 this year, as well as the Cruise Origin, a new self-driving share vehicle, and the Cadillac Lyriq, an incoming luxury SUV.

The new architecture is part of GM's wide-ranging strategy to grow its "electric vehicle (EV) sales quickly, efficiently and profitably".

"GM is building toward an all-electric future because we believe climate change is real," GM CEO Mary Barra said at the platform's launch.

“What we have done is build a multi-brand, multi-segment EV strategy with economies of scale that rival our full-size truck business with much less complexity and even more flexibility.”

Currently, Tesla holds the title for world's longest range on its electric cars.

The Tesla Model S Long Range available in Australia and New Zealand has a range of 610km (WLTP), while the Model S Long Range Plus, which is only available in the US, Canada and Mexico, claims a range of 630km.

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