General Motors BEV3 platform

General Motors BEV3 platform
Cadillac Lyriq, the first vehicle based on the BEV3 platform
Overview
Manufacturer	General Motors
Production	2022–present
Body and chassis
Layout	Front-motor, front-wheel-drive Rear-motor, rear-wheel-drive Dual-motor, all-wheel-drive
Related	GM BT1
Chronology
Predecessor	GM BEV2

The General Motors BEV3 platform is a dedicated electric vehicle architecture or platform developed by General Motors. It is the third-generation electric vehicle platform by GM, succeeding the BEV2 platform.^[1] It is categorized as a skateboard platform.^[2]

History

Honda announced it would partner with General Motors to develop "next-generation" batteries in 2018.^[3] The BEV3 architecture was first announced by GM in January 2019,^[4] with Cadillac announced as the lead marque,^[5] and BEV3 was officially detailed on March 4, 2020, during the GM EV Day briefing in Warren, Michigan, and supports Ultium batteries and Ultium Drive motors.^[6]

In 2021, Honda announced it would release two SUVs in 2024 under the Honda and Acura marques, developed in partnership with GM;^[7] it was clarified in 2022 the new Honda SUVs would be built alongside GM SUVs, using Ultium batteries and GM's electric vehicle platform.^[8]

Design

The BEV3 platform is designed to support unibody passenger cars and crossover utility vehicles, while body-on-frame trucks and SUVs will be based on the General Motors BT1 platform.^[9] BEV3 supports front-, rear-, and all-wheel drive configurations^[5][10] using one or more Ultium Drive units, each of which combines the electric traction motor, reduction gear, and power electronics.^[11]

GM claim that BEV3 will offer a larger footprint with lower height, greater energy density, and faster charging rate compared to BEV2. The modular design will allow from six to twenty-four battery modules under the floor, depending on energy storage requirements.^[12] Premium vehicles that use the BEV3 platform have the option of a 4–6 in (100–150 mm) larger dash-to-axle ratio,^[a] resulting in a longer hood that is intended to recall the classic proportions of personal luxury cars designed by Bill Mitchell for GM.^[14]

Applications

Current models

• Acura ZDX (2024–present)^[15]
• Buick Electra E4 (2023–present)^[16]
• Buick Electra E5 (2023–present)^[17]
• Cadillac Celestiq (2024–present)^[9]
• Cadillac Lyriq (2022–present)^[18]
• Cadillac Optiq (2024–present)^[19]
• Cadillac Vistiq (2025–present)^[20]
• Chevrolet Blazer EV (2023–present)^[21]
• Chevrolet Equinox EV (2024–present)^[22]
• Honda Prologue (2024–present)^[8][23]

• 
  Acura ZDX
• 
  Buick Electra E4
• 
  Buick Electra E5
• 
  Cadillac Lyriq
• 
  Cadillac Celestiq
• 
  Cadillac Optiq
• 
  Chevrolet Blazer EV
• 
  Chevrolet Equinox EV
• 
  Honda Prologue

Future models

• Chevrolet Bolt (TBD)^[24]

See also

• General Motors BEV2 platform
• Ultium, the battery and motor used for the platform

References

Notes

1. Dash-to-axle is defined as the distance between the cowl and the centerline of the front axle. The dash-to-axle ratio concept first received broad attention when Edsel Ford was directing the design of the Lincoln Continental in the late 1930s. Typically, a longer dash-to-axle ratio results in a long hood, with consonant implications of a more powerful engine and rear-wheel-drive layout.^[13]

Sources

1. "GM's third-gen EV platform and Ultium batteries promise 400-plus miles of range". Motor Authority. March 4, 2020. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
2. "GM executive: Electric pickup will be built on EV-specific platform". Green Car Reports. June 7, 2019. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
3. Holmes, Jake (June 7, 2018). "Honda, GM partner on next-gen electric-car battery development". Road/Show. CNet. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
4. Panait, Mircea (January 11, 2019). "General Motors Announces BEV3 Platform For FWD, RWD, AWD Electric Vehicles". autoevolution. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
5. "GM: Cadillac to be lead EV brand; new global BEV3 architecture". Green Car Congress. January 12, 2019. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
6. "New BEV3 GM EV Platform Unveiled". GM Authority. March 4, 2020. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
7. Krok, Andrew (June 28, 2021). "Honda Prologue electric SUV kicks off major EV push". Road/Show. CNet. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
8. Goodwin, Antuan (May 18, 2022). "Honda Teases GM Ultium-Based Prologue Electric SUV in Sketch". Road/Show. CNet. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
9. "GM BEV3 Vehicle Platform". GM Authority. August 2, 2020. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
10. Niebuhr, Kurt (July 18, 2022). "2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV Is One of the Only Vehicles in History With Available Front- and Rear-Wheel Drive". Edmunds. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
11. Hyatt, Kyle (September 23, 2021). "GM debuts its Ultium Drive electric motors". Road/Show. CNet. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
12. Halvorson, Bengt (February 6, 2020). "GM teases new electric-truck details, boasts about battery flexibility". Green Car Reports. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
13. Mehta, Sajeev (October 15, 2019). "Vellum Venom: Dash-to-Axle, Defined". The Truth About Cars. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
14. Lefferts, Jim (January 1, 2023). "How Cadillac Championed A Longer Dash-To-Axle Ratio For GM BEV3 Platform". GM Authority. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
15. Ewing, Steven (August 18, 2022). "2024 Acura ZDX Will Be the Brand's First EV". Road/Show. CNet. Retrieved December 30, 2022. When it goes on sale in 2024, the ZDX will ride on the same electric vehicle architecture as the upcoming Honda Prologue, which is being co-developed with General Motors. The ZDX will use GM's Ultium battery technology and should slot between the RDX and MDX crossovers in terms of size.
16. Centeno, Deivis (June 12, 2023). "Here Is The All-New Buick Electra E4 Crossover Coupe". GM Authority. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
17. Mihalascu, Dan (December 19, 2022). "Buick Debuts Electra E5 SUV In China As Its First Ultium-Based EV". Inside EVs. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
18. Doll, Scooter (January 20, 2022). "GM is actually making EVs: Pre-production Cadillac Lyriq rolls off assembly line, deliveries to follow". Electrek. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
19. Opletal, Jiri (July 14, 2023). "Cadillac Optiq SUV is a new EV only for China". CarNewsChina.com. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
20. "Site Maintenance". media.cadillac.com. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
21. Bell, Lucas (July 19, 2022). "The Chevy Blazer EV Takes Ultium Mainstream With 320 Mile Range at $47,595". Road & Track. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
22. White, Emmet (September 8, 2022). "Chevrolet's Equinox Goes Electric for 2024". Autoweek. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
23. Capparella, Joey (July 27, 2022). "2024 Honda Prologue EV SUV Shows Its GM Roots". Car and Driver. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
24. Whalen, Jeanne (July 25, 2023). "Chevy Bolt EV is returning to market, months after GM scrapped it". Washington Post. Retrieved July 25, 2023.