For Release
September 19, 2011: Seoul @ 6 am / Shanghai @ 5 am
September 18, 2011: Detroit @ 5 pm / Zurich @ 11 pm
GM Extends EV Development with Demo Fleet of Electric Chevrolet
Cruzes
 Developed by GM and LG for Demonstration Fleet in South Korea
 Early Testing Estimates Up to 160 km (100 Miles) of Range on a
Single Charge
 Project to Begin by End of October
Seoul – General Motors today announced a demonstration project to explore market
needs and customer acceptance of battery electric vehicles in Korea. The project
involves a fleet of electric vehicles based on the successful Chevrolet Cruze. The result
of shared development with GM Daewoo, LG Chem and LG Electronics, the electric
Cruzes will be part of a demo fleet that will operate in South Korea’s capital, Seoul.
The project is aimed at benefiting GM’s core vehicle electrification competencies, which
include batteries, electric motors, power controls and charging. It will provide real-world
data on customer acceptance of battery electric vehicles, studying driving patterns and
charging behavior while sharing costs and resources. This is a key initiative in GM’s
global battery and electric vehicle development strategy. The demo project is expected
to launch by the end of October. GM demonstration fleets with other partners are also
being launched in other urban markets later this year.
The Cruze EV demo fleet will be the first full-size sedan electric vehicles to hit the road
and will be powered by batteries from LG Chem and propulsion systems
(motor/inverter) from LG Electronics. GM’s EV demo fleet in South Korea will consist of
Chevrolet Cruzes and GM Daewoo Lacetti Premieres. GM currently markets the vehicle
under the local brand in South Korea.
“This Cruze EV demonstration project reinforces GM’s commitment to being a leader in
the development of electric vehicles and green technologies, building on our portfolio of
hybrids and the Chevrolet Volt,” said Karl Stracke, Vice President, GM Global Vehicle
Engineering. ”We’ll apply the learnings from this and our other demo projects to help us
deliver the world’s best vehicles for our customers.”
The Cruze EV is equipped with a 31-kWh battery that generates maximum power of 150
kW. The demonstration fleet will be monitored closely to determine the amount of realworld range achievable by a vehicle of its size. On specific test schedules conducted by
LG Chem, the demonstration vehicles may achieve a range of up to 160 km (100 miles).
The vehicles can go from 0 to 100 km/h (60 miles per hour) in 8.2 seconds with a
maximum speed of 165 km/h (102.5 miles per hour).
On a standard household 220-volt outlet, the Cruze EV can be fully recharged in 8 to 10
hours. Part of the demonstration fleet’s task is to test a “quick charge” application that
could reduce the charge time significantly.
“Although there is much more work to be done, our ability to develop this vehicle in less
than a year offers a peek at the very promising plans we have for our customers in
Korea and around the world,” said Mike Arcamone, GM Daewoo President and CEO.
While battery packs often occupy trunk space, the Cruze EV’s battery pack is mounted
on the underbody. This gives the Cruze EV the same trunk space as conventional
vehicles with gasoline engines.
“Expanding the domestic electric vehicle market carries significant meaning for
collaboration between GM Daewoo and LG Chem,” said Peter Bahnsuk Kim, Vice
Chairman and CEO of LG Chem. “Over the past two years, we have forged a strong
partnership with GM, and now we look forward to doing the same with GM Daewoo in
our home country.”
Since 2008, GM has been working with LG Chemical, which is the exclusive supplier of
battery cells for the Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle with extended range. The Volt enters
the U.S. market later this year. The development of the Chevrolet Cruze EV demo fleet
will expand this collaboration.
About General Motors: General Motors, one of the world’s largest automakers, traces
its roots back to 1908. With its global headquarters in Detroit, GM employs 208,000
people in every major region of the world and does business in some 120 countries.
GM and its strategic partners produce cars and trucks in 31 countries, and sell and
service these vehicles through the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, FAW,
GMC, Daewoo, Holden, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling. GM’s largest national
market is China, followed by the United States, Brazil, Germany, the United Kingdom,
Canada, and Italy. GM’s OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety,
security and information services. General Motors acquired operations from General
Motors Corporation on July 10, 2009, and references to prior periods in this and other
press materials refer to operations of the old General Motors Corporation. More
information on the new General Motors can be found at www.gm.com.
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CONTACT(S):
Contact: Michael Albano
General Motors International Operations
michael.albano@gm.com
(86) 138-1613-6496