General Motors has announced plans to build its own electric drive motors for future hybrid and electric vehicles. This makes GM the first major United States automaker to have in-house design, engineering and manufacturing of its own electric drive and hybrid motor technology. The hybrid engines will be made at the company’s transmission plant in White Marsh, Maryland, near Baltimore.The Baltimore plant builds the Two Mode hybrid transmission, originally developed by G.M.’s former Allison division and used in hybrid S.U.V.’s and pickups made by G.M., BMW and Mercedes. The new motor’s first application will be in the next generation of the Two Mode hybrid system, slated for 2013. Tooling costs for the Baltimore plant will be covered primarily by a $105 million grant from the Energy Department. (NYT, 1/26/10)
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