Beginning today, General Motors will add 1,000 engineers and researchers in Michigan over the next two years to significantly expand its vehicle electrification expertise and lead in the development of electric vehicles from hybrids to electric vehicles with extended-range capability, like the Chevrolet Volt.  

The commitment by GM CEO Dan Akerson coincides with preparations for delivery of the first Chevrolet Volt electric vehicles with extended-range capability to customers in key states.

The new jobs will build on GM’s strategy to develop, validate and manufacture automotive battery, electric motor and power control technologies in-house as core competencies.    

“GM is going to lead the industry in the adoption of various vehicle electrification technologies, whether its electric vehicles with extended-range capability, like the Chevrolet Volt, or the recently introduced eAssist technology that will debut on the 2012 Buick LaCrosse,” Akerson said. “We want to give our customers energy choices other than petroleum and to make the automobile part of the solution when it comes to the environment.”

Deep experience and expertise in batteries, electric motors and power controls will ensure GM provides the best possible electric vehicle choices to customers around the world, Akerson said.

The 2007 reveal of the Chevrolet Volt has spurred a flurry of activity in the electrification of the automobile and has become an economic multiplier for the state of Michigan. GM’s electric vehicle engineering investment expands on the more than $700 million GM has invested in eight facilities in Michigan to support Volt production. 

GM has the industry’s largest and most technologically advanced battery systems lab at its Warren, Mich. Technical Center and has invested $336 million at its Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant, home of the Volt, along with another $43 million at the industry’s only battery pack manufacturing plant in Brownstown Township, Mich.  An additional $162 million investment was announced last week to support powertrain operations in Flint and Bay City, Mich., and Defiance, Ohio.

In addition to GM’s investments, suppliers such as LG Chem, utility companies such as DTE Energy and organizations including the University of Michigan and Wayne State University, are investing in Michigan jobs to support Chevy Volt and electric vehicle development.

“The state of Michigan is proud to continue our long partnership with GM as it drives toward a leaner, greener future,” Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm said. “As we work to diversify our state’s economy both within the auto industry and outside of it, electric vehicles will play a major role in re-establishing Michigan as the North American center of automotive manufacturing.”

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 209,000 people in every major region of the world and does business in more than 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, GMC, Daewoo, Holden, Isuzu, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall, and Wuling.  GM’s largest national market is China, followed by the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, and Russia.  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.

Ditlev Engel, President and CEO of Vestas Wind Systems A/S and convener of the  working group for creating green jobs, is asking every G20 Head of State for a  date – one hour in their calendar over the coming months. Mr Engel and working  group colleagues offer to personally present tailor-made recommendations specific to each G20 country.

The working group for creating green jobs (comprised of CEOs and Chairmen from the following companies: Cisco Systems, Inc.; EDF; GDF Suez; Hyundai Heavy  Industries Co.; PGE Polska Energetyczna S.A.; Robert Bosch GmbH; Shanfari Group of Companies; Siam Cement Group and Vestas Wind Systems A/S) has spent the last three months developing a report including concrete and ready-to-go economy-wide recommendations for creating green jobs.                                       

The green jobs working group wants G20 leaders to commit to these four actions:

• Set a robust price on carbon – high enough and stable enough to change people’s  behaviour and investment decisions
• Scale up research and development – and do that dramatically
• Eliminate fossil fuel subsidies as quickly as possible – and within five years at most
• Allow free trade in environmental goods and services

“It’s not a one-size fits all approach,” said Mr Engel. “We have only a short  time with the leaders here at the G20. That’s why for us, it starts here in Seoul. Our offer to each of the G20 leaders is simple: give us an hour of your time and we’ll come to you. Give us a date in your calendar and we’ll help you  create a tailor-made policy framework to meet your country’s specific needs.  Instead of a 1 x 20 solution, we suggest a 20 x 1 solution, finding what works  best for each country.”                                                        

He continues: “Creating green jobs on a massive scale is a two-way street. Give us the policy frameworks, and we’ll give you the results. We’ll make the investments, we’ll take the risks, and we’ll create the jobs. But this requires a policy framework that re-balances the incentives indisputably in favour of  green investment.”                                                             

The report provides additional details on four sectors – power, buildings,  industry, and transportation – with examples from around the world that work, policies that have been shown to create results. Countries that have been fastest to embrace the green economy have already created huge numbers of green jobs and new economic growth engines that are not dependent on fossil fuels or  scarce natural resources.                                                      

“The ‘green jobs race’ is on,” says Ditlev Engel. “The question is, how much can each G20 member benefit? This is why we’re asking each G20 leader to give us a date, an hour of their time, so we can help them and their countries win.”   

You can find more about Vestas and the working group for creating green jobs here:                                                                          
http://www.vestas.com/en/g20.aspx

Below are summaries of the global economy wide recommendations from the working group for creating green jobs to the G20                                       

Set a robust price on carbon

Carbon pricing is the foundation on which a truly successful green economic and job creation revolution must be built. Consumers and industry at large will  respond rationally and efficiently to the carbon price signal, but to motivate investment on the scale needed, the carbon price must be transparent,  long-lived, and certain (“TLC”).  Emissions trading systems such as the EU-ETS are not currently delivering these objectives. New measures are needed to provide more certainty (e.g., a floor price) and longer horizons (e.g., carbon  price contracts for targeting key long-term investments such as renewables). In some regions, a carbon tax could be considered. Even without a global climate deal or a global carbon market, much can be done on a national and regional  level in G20 countries. Over time, as carbon prices stabilize and converge, carbon markets can further integrate to create even greater market certainty and
efficiency.   
Dramatically scale up research and development

R&D spending needs to be increased by a factor of four in order to get anywhere near the optimal level. This will create highly skilled jobs directly as well as generate positive ripple effects in other parts of the economy through faster  uptake of more advanced technologies, leading to lower costs and increased efficiency. A range of delivery approaches will be needed, including public subsidies, grants, partnerships, and co-investments. And we need market-based technology transfer agreements to maximize the impact of this spending, particularly in the developing world.                                          

End fossil fuel subsidies                              

The G20 leaders have already committed to phasing out over the “medium term” some of the US$ 557 billion spent annually (2008) on fossil fuel subsidies.   While this is an important start, we believe faster and broader action is required in light of the clear economic and environmental benefits. We urge G20 leaders to end all such subsidies within the shortest possible time frame, and not more than five years. Equity issues need to be addressed, but a number of countries have already proven it is possible to protect the poor without  simultaneously encouraging over-consumption of fossil fuels.                   

Allow free trade in environmental goods and services

Existing tariff and non-tariff trade barriers such as local content requirements restrict free trade in green goods and services and thereby increase prices, reduce competition, discourage innovation, and inhibit green job growth. Eliminating tariff and non-tariff trade barriers on environmental goods and  services will accelerate diffusion of green technologies, increase economies of scale, lower prices, encourage competition and innovation, and result in faster job creation. Therefore we urge G20 leaders to create a safe haven for the free trade of environmental goods and services by urgently agreeing first to  eliminate such trade barriers among the G20 countries, and then using the power of that leadership example to expand such a free trade safe haven to an ever-greater number of countries.

The Federal Transit Administration announced the award of $1.7 million to the Anaheim Transportation Network (ATN) for cutting-edge transportation projects that create “green” jobs, promote the use of clean fuels, and help reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gases and other pollutants.

The money is being provided through FTA’s Fiscal Year 2010 Discretionary Sustainability Funding Opportunity, announced last April, which comprises two programs: $89.7 million from FTA’s Clean Fuels Grant Program and $75 million from FTA’s Transit Investment in Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction (TIGGER) Program.

The Clean Fuels funds were awarded to 36 transit recipients through a competitive nation-wide selection process based on the ability to help communities achieve or maintain the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone and carbon monoxide, while supporting emerging clean fuel and advanced propulsion technologies for transit buses. The winning proposals were submitted by transit agencies from across the country. The FTA reviewed more than 274 applications seeking a total of $1.4 billion.

This funding coming to the ATN is in addition to $2.2 million the ATN previously received from the Federal Transit Administration from the State of Good Repair Program. Over 400 requests from transit providers across the country, requesting over $4.2 billion in funding were received by the Federal Transit Administration. The ATN is among 152 other grant recipients to receive funding under the State of Good Repair discretionary grant program.

“Service reliability and environmentally conscious solutions are our highest priorities and they go hand-in-hand with making sure that the ATN’s Anaheim Resort Transit system is in a solid position to meet the needs of the Anaheim community,” said Paul Sanford, ATN Chairman. “The millions of people who depend on the Anaheim Resort Transit system each year expect a safe, comfortable, and eco-friendly transportation service.”

About Anaheim Transportation Network – The Anaheim Transportation Network’s mission is to enhance transportation options by delivering reliable and efficient transportation solutions. Our commitment to customers consists of integrity, customer service, can-do spirit, communication and partnerships. ATN’s members include businesses in-and-around The Anaheim Resort District and its Board of Directors includes members and ex-officio members from the City of Anaheim and the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce. Formed in 1995 as part of the expansion of The Anaheim Resort District, the ATN improves mobility and air quality throughout the cities of Anaheim, Garden Grove and Orange. www.RideArt.org

A new five-year, $10.5-million partnership between General Motors of Canada, Waterloo-based Maplesoft Inc., and a multidisciplinary research team at the University of Waterloo is tackling the challenges of next generation electric vehicles. Through model-based design and prototype testing, the team will investigate crucial technologies for achieving more widespread use of electric vehicles.

“Vehicle electrification is a key pillar of our energy diversification strategy,” said Kevin Williams, president and managing director of GM of Canada. “Building on our leading R&D commitments in Canada, this project better positions us to exceed customers’ expectations with respect to the performance, safety, and sustainability of our electric vehicle technologies.”

The research is being supported by the Automotive Partnership Canada (APC) with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) as the lead agency. APC is contributing $3.6 million, in addition to $2.5 million from the Ontario Research Fund.

“General Motors’ continued commitment to R&D in Canada is bringing long-term benefits to Canada’s automotive industry, and is helping to keep us on the cutting edge of innovation,” said Peter Braid, Member of Parliament for Kitchener-Waterloo, on behalf of The Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry. “This technology is an exciting example of made-in-Canada innovation resulting from the Automotive Partnership Canada program.”

“We’re very excited about the APC project,” added Dr. Tom Lee, Maplesoft’s vice-president, engineering applications. “This project will result in powerful new software tools that will speed up the design and analysis of electric vehicles.”

The development and validation of key enabling technologies such as vehicle stability control, power management systems, and battery monitoring and charging devices will be important focus areas for the research team, led by Dr. Amir Khajepour from the University of Waterloo.

Importantly, the technologies originating from Waterloo will also be tested by GM vehicle development teams. Engaging the research team in the vehicle development process will provide them with a unique opportunity to gain insight into bringing new technology concepts to market, and help transform the research findings into a truly integrated technological solution.

“Electrification of automotive systems presents complex challenges for a vehicle’s powertrain, control systems, battery health monitoring, thermal management, and safety,” added Dr. Khajepour. “With the APC funding and the support of General Motors, we plan to tackle these challenges to develop the next generation of key electric vehicle technologies.”

Maplesoft, a leading developer of high performance physical modeling and simulation software, will incorporate the researchers’ innovative ideas into new design tools that GM’s staff can apply during their routine engineering work. Maplesoft is particularly interested in using its modelling capabilities to help improve the batteries deployed in electric vehicles.

About General Motors of Canada Limited

Headquartered in Oshawa, Ontario, General Motors of Canada Limited (GMCL) employs over 9,000 people across the country and is a recognized leader in green manufacturing. GMCL markets the full range of fuel-efficient Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac vehicles and related services through Canada’s largest automotive dealer network, which employs over 23,000 people dedicated to delivering a top customer experience. GMCL also plays a leadership role in automotive design and engineering, engaging in innovative research and development partnerships with leading Canadian universities and research institutes. In addition, through its Canadian Engineering Centres, GMCL conducts development activities ranging from cold weather testing to the advancement of key electric vehicle and green technologies. www.gm.ca.

About Maplesoft

Maplesoft™, provider of high-performance software tools for engineering, science, and mathematics, offers a product suite that reflects the philosophy that given great tools, people can do great things.

Maplesoft’s core technologies include an advanced symbolic computation engine and revolutionary physical modelling techniques. Combined together, these technologies enable the creation of cutting edge tools for design, modelling, and high-performance simulation.

Engineers, scientists, and mathematicians use Maplesoft’s products to reduce errors, shorten design times, lower costs, and improve results. The Maplesoft product suite includes Maple™, the technical computing and documentation environment, and MapleSim™, the high-performance, multi-domain modelling and simulation tool for physical systems.

As a member of the recently announced clean vehicles consortium, part of the U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers are focusing on a suite of technologies to put more electric and hybrid vehicles on the road.

Working with the University of Michigan, which leads the consortium announced by the Department of Energy, ORNL will contribute in the areas of advanced systems integration, vehicle electrification, batteries and energy storage, characterization, optimization and combustion of biofuels and lightweighting structures, said Robert Wagner of ORNL’s Energy and Transportation Science Division.

Government funding for the Clean Energy Research Center totals $25 million, with the clean vehicles and clean coal consortia, announced the same day, each to receive $12.5 million over the next five years. The funding is to be matched by the grantees.

In announcing the consortia, Energy Secretary Steven Chu said, “The U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Center will help accelerate the development and deployment of clean vehicle and clean coal technologies here at home. This new partnership will also create new export opportunities for American companies, ensure the United States remains at the forefront of technology innovation and help to reduce global carbon pollution.”

While levels of funding are to be determined, Wagner envisions the collaboration strengthening partnerships and speeding the effort. Core partners include Ohio State University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sandia National Laboratories and the Joint BioEnergy Institute, which will partner with several Chinese entities.

“Numerous other industrial partners have committed to contributing to the Clean Energy Research Center with funding or in-kind and many additional companies have expressed interest,” Wagner said.

In the clean vehicle proposal to DOE, the team wrote that the center aims to have an impact on three of society’s grand challenges: climate change, energy security and environmental sustainability.

“The strategic intent of the Clean Energy Research Center clean vehicles consortium is to forge a strong partnership between the U.S. and China, the largest greenhouse gas emitters and the largest existing and emerging vehicle markets, for breakthrough research and development,” the proposal stated.

The hope is that this effort will facilitate joint research and development of clean energy technologies by the U.S. and China.

Other members of the clean vehicles team are General Motors, Ford, Toyota, Chrysler, Cummins, Fraunhofer, MAGNET, A123, American Electric Power, First Energy and the Transportation Research Center.

The $25 million in U.S. government funding will be used to support work conducted by U.S. institutions and individuals only. More information about the center can be found here: http://www.energy.gov/news/9443.htm

ORNL is managed by UT-Battelle for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science.