To position itself competitively among electrified automobile manufacturers, GM is taking the next critical step. The first vehicle with electric motor will be the next generation rear-wheel drive 2-mode hybrid that is expected to be launched by GM in 2013.

The electric motors used in the hybrid drivetrain have a new Two-Mode architecture that features 25 percent smaller packaging and are made from a small set of components that includes laminated steel, copper wire, insulation around the wire, magnets, precision bearings and improved cooling system. The motors will also be smoother, quieter and more affordable.

GM’s current Two-Mode Hybrids (GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado) combine an electrically variable transmission that houses two 60kW electric motors with a multi-displacement 6.0-liter V-8 gas engine.The electric motors alone can drive the truck up to 25 mph, depending on engine load . As the V-8 kicks in, the electric motors seamlessly support it, individually or in tandem, at low and high speeds, helping the engine enter fuel-saving four-cylinder mode sooner and stay in it longer to achieve better fuel economy. Two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive versions are EPA rated at 21/22 mpg city/highway.