Business · Companies · 3 hrs ago
GM plans more efficient EVs with a new computing platform
At its GM Forward event in New York, General Motors announced a fourth-generation EV platform with new battery technology and a redesigned electrical system.
GM says the vehicles will be 15% lighter and 20% more energy efficient, while using 20% less battery capacity overall.
The platform is designed for lithium-manganese-rich batteries, which GM says cost less than high-nickel cells and are more energy-dense than lithium iron phosphate batteries.
A central computer will manage more of each vehicle’s systems, and GM says it will be 40 times more powerful than its current systems and help cut wiring by 30%.
The changes reflect a wider shift in the car industry, where software and computing are increasingly important as automakers compete with Tesla and Chinese manufacturers.
GM says the new technology will debut in 2028 in the Cadillac Escalade IQ, though it has not given a firm timeline for the broader platform rollout.
General Motors announced a fourth-generation electric-vehicle platform at its GM Forward event in New York.
GM said vehicles using the platform will be 15% lighter, 20% more energy-efficient and use 20% less battery capacity.
The platform will use lithium-manganese-rich batteries, which GM says cost less than high-nickel cells.
GM also plans a centralized computing system and electrical architecture to connect vehicle systems and reduce wiring by 30%.
The technology overhaul is set to debut in the Cadillac Escalade IQ in 2028, according to TechCrunch.
- Who
- General Motors.
- What
- GM announced a fourth-generation electric-vehicle platform with changes to batteries, motors, vehicle structure and computing.
- When
- Wednesday, October 21, 2026.
- Where
- GM Forward event in New York City.
- Why
- GM says the platform is designed to improve efficiency and reduce battery costs while delivering suitable range.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
GM announced its fourth-generation EV platform at the GM Forward event in New York.
The technology overhaul is set to debut in the Cadillac Escalade IQ.
- Vehicle mass
- 15% reduction, according to GM
- Energy efficiency
- 20% improvement, according to GM
- Battery capacity
- 20% reduction, according to GM
- Wiring
- 30% reduction, according to GM
- Battery chemistry
- Lithium-manganese-rich (LMR)
- First stated debut
- Cadillac Escalade IQ in 2028
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What people are saying
We continue to develop our future EVs and work to reduce battery costs
And when the U.S. market is ready for EVs in large numbers, we will be there for them.
When you talk about equivalent or more range for 20% less battery, which is a dominating [bill-of-materials] cost of the system, you can extrapolate what that means for the value proposition to us and really to the customer.
We think vehicles can become a more capable and helpful part of everyday life if we make them spaces that understand context, reduce friction, and give people back moments that would otherwise be consumed by the demands of the road