GM's third-generation EV platform and Ultium battery provide a range of more than 400 miles.

General Motors on Wednesday announced the first details of a sweeping electrification program that will give each of the automaker's brands multiple models of battery-electric vehicles.

At the heart of the program is a flexible EV platform that will feature vehicles with batteries that provide up to 200 kilowatt hours, or more than 400 miles of driving on a single charge.

Mary Barra, GM's chairman and CEO, said in a statement that "our team has accepted the challenge to transform GM's product development and position the company for an all-electric future".

The new platform is designed specifically for EVs and represents the third generation of GM's EV platform. The second generation is used in the current Chevrolet Bolt EV. The new platform, codenamed BEV3, is flexible enough to create vehicles from the subcompact segment to large SUVs and pickup trucks. In addition, it will be designed for high-powered vehicles: front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive, and with a powertrain that can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in less than 3.0 seconds.

The platform made its real-world debut in January on the Cruise Origin automated shuttle. Its next target will be the Cadillac Lyriq crossover, which is scheduled to be unveiled in April.

GM emphasized that future electric vehicles will be cost-effective, in part because the major components of electric vehicles, such as batteries and motors, are modular and therefore less complex than internal combustion engine vehicles GM is also working with LG Chem, its battery partner. Technology is also advancing. One of them is the new Ultium battery, which uses large, bag-shaped cells that can be stacked vertically or horizontally inside a battery pack, a unique phenomenon in the industry. This gives engineers more flexibility when installing the battery in different types of vehicles.

GM has also stated that the Ultium battery requires less cobalt, a rare earth element, which could bring its cost down to the $100 per kWh mark. Further developments will reduce the cost even further, and GM has stated that it is willing to license the battery to competitors.

Ultium batteries have a capacity of 50-200 kWh, and some cars can travel over 400 miles on a single charge. Most vehicles using Ultium batteries have 400-volt battery packs that charge at rates up to 200 kWh. However, trucks using these batteries will be equipped with 800-volt battery packs that charge at speeds up to 350 kWh, including the GMC Hummer EV, which will be unveiled in May. At these speeds, the battery can be charged to 80 percent in less than 30 minutes, as seen in the Porsche Taikan, which already uses an 800-volt battery pack.

We won't have to wait long to see the first of GM's future electric cars. We already know that the Cadillac Lyric and GMC Hummer EV will be unveiled within a few months. There will also be an update to the Bolt EV in late 2020 and a new crossover variant called the Bolt EUV in the summer of 2021.