Chennai: Prototype range extended electric vehicle launched

Chennai: General Motors, on Wednesday, unveiled locally built prototype range extended electric vehicle (REEV), designed exclusively for the national REEV student competition. 

It is a technical demonstration by the company and also a concept.

 The vehicle was showcased at the 37th FISITA World Automotive Congress, which was inaugurated at the Chennai Trade Centre, on Wednesday. Unveiling the vehicle, General Motors vice-president, Global Propulsion Systems Dan Nicholson said GMTC-I’s world-class capability makes it an important part of GM’s global engineering operations. 

“We have designed this keeping India in our mind and it’s a concept and it will be a learning platform,” Nicholson, said. Engineering is a global function for General Motors and the India design center is an integral part of it. General Motors Technical Center India (GMTC-I) houses a design studio and an engineering center.

The India center contributes to a significant percentage of the GM global programmes. It is focused on global programs including design, analysis and development of vehicles and propulsion systems, he added.

“The engineering capability we have at GMTC-I in Bangalore, India, is playing a significant role in GM delivering its commitment to create a world with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion, said Nicholson. 

As part of GM’s global engineering operations, GMTC-I offered India’s leading designers and engineers the opportunity to work on cutting-edge global technology projects, and the potential for global careers.

 “As well as looking to the future of personal mobility, GMTC-I plays an important role in GM’s global core business: designing and engineering world-class vehicles that inspire passion for safer tomorrow,” said Brian McMurray, GMTC-I vice-president engineering and operations.

REEV competition will explore the new age technology in automotive Industry such as Hybridisation, Light weighting, Optimisation, Range extension, fuel awareness etc. Through this competition GMTC-I and SAE Bangalore aim to engage the next generation of engineers making them industry ready and help change the world.

It further aims to inspire students and universities in the wake of Government of India’s plan of at least 30 % on road electric vehicles by 2030. 

Alternatively then, the competition offers an opportunity to make personal mobility safer and more sustainable for the customers.

According to Brian McMurray the intellectual horsepower of GM’s designers and engineers in India is further demonstrated in the team’s 71 technical papers accepted by FISITA covering various innovation areas. “At FISITA, GM has deployed the virtual reality facility to provide real-life experience of car crashes and GM’s safety technology to the public,” McMurray added.