Latin America is undergoing a transformation in its energy matrix, beyond mobility, which is trying to leave behind conventional supplies to migrate to clean energies, hand in hand with large companies and manufacturers who are responsible for offering these new technologies in the market.
Part of this topic was presented by Santiago Urdinola, Government Relations, Communications and Social Responsibility Director of General Motors, during the “Latam Mobility: Chile 2022” meeting held at the W Santiago Hotel in the Chilean capital at the end of last month.
Urdinola presented the future vision of the automotive giant based in Detroit, U.S.A., and explained to those present the turnaround made by the company, which after 114 years of history as one of the global leaders in combustion vehicles, has entered the path of new technologies and developments.
“During the 1939 World’s Fair in New York, General Motors looked 20 years ahead, and at that time the challenge was to connect the cities of the United States by a system of highways and roads, so the international community was brought together to share that vision, making the company an agent of that change to achieve those goals,” the representative explained.
“Currently, General Motors is looking towards the future, towards a new ecosystem, such as electromobility. If in the year 1939 the goals were met, that is a testimony that allows us to demonstrate that when we unite around a goal, everything can be achieved. To do this, we needed to have not only a vision, but all GM teams globally working together to develop this reality,” he said.
Three Ideas
The General Motors representative indicated that the company seeks a change from the traditional vision of transportation towards technological development, having as a base three main ideas: zero accidents, zero emissions and zero congestion, and to carry it out, a solid philosophy based on technology, innovation and development is required.
“To achieve the transformation it is necessary to connect our vehicles, we cannot have zero accidents or zero congestion if we do not have vehicles connected to systems or the Internet of Things. This can only be achieved with a software development engineering component to offer more solutions,” said Santiago Urdinola.
He also commented on GM’s deployment through its “Everybody In” campaign, where it is understood that in order for everyone to be part of electromobility, the market must be offered different solutions that meet the different needs of end users.
“At General Motors we are clear that the same types of vehicles do not work for all consumers, as some require large SUVs, others need utilities and some, sports cars. We must make this new reality based on demands and needs, and give the market sufficient vehicle capacity to allow entry for everyone,” he said.
New Developments
General Motors has not only bet on electromobility, but has also developed its own modular battery platform, which on the same basis, allows to adapt the needs of consumers.
“Instead of going through the process of having a combustion car and converting it into an electric car, we developed the electric vehicle from scratch, based on the Ultium platform, which is the heart of this technology. And it has been demonstrated that having this flexible system helps us to offer this type of vehicles in the different markets at an international level“, Urdinola emphasized.
On the other hand, the representative of the automotive giant said that the company is betting on autonomous driving vehicles, and recently obtained the commercial license in the United States for the cab service “Cruise“, which is already operating in San Francisco, and can do so throughout the state of California.
Finally, Urdinola said that General Motors is making significant efforts to have the latest technology available to offer to the market. “We are ready to be part of the change and are maintaining our efforts in the development, production, engineering and systems needed to move toward electromobility.“
