10月20日，通用汽车宣布将与韩国电子巨头LG合作，共同开发2017版雪佛兰Bolt EV的整个动力总成系统以及其他车辆子系统。通用汽车工程部高管表示，这种新型业务关系可能为电气化车辆开发开创一个新的模式。

通用与LG为Bolt电动车制定的《合作开发协议》内容涵盖11种新的、独特的组件和子系统，包括电池和电池组、牵引电动机（通用设计）、逆变器、大功率配电模块、电池加热器、辅助电源模块、电力线通信模块、资讯娱乐系统、仪表板等。

两年前，LG成立了一个新的子公司，即LG电子汽车零部件公司。公司副总裁Ken Chang在密歇根州沃伦市的通用汽车技术中心接受《汽车工程杂志》及其他媒体采访时说，LG电子汽车零部件公司走在了与通用建立合作关系的前列。该公司的员工中有来自LG集团旗下其他公司（包括电池制造商LG化学、LG伊诺特、LG显示器和LG电子）的工程师和技术人员。Chang表示，LG电子对韩国仁川的一个新设施投资超过了2.5亿美元，该设施将用于Bolt产品的研发和生产。

Bolt计划于2016年第3季度在底特律北部的通用汽车奥赖恩组装厂发布。通用全球产品开发执行副总裁Mark Reuss表示，该款新型电动车正处于车辆整合阶段，目前有100辆样车正在进行道路测试和其他测试。Reuss说，在与LG建立伙伴关系的这一“颠覆性的举措”之下，Bolt将“为电动车和电气化车辆开发设立新的标准”。

通用与LG的合作关系始于2007年，当时LG为通用汽车的OnStar（安吉星）车载信息系统提供车用通讯模组，从此双方关系不断发展。后来，LG从几百个专业的电池公司中脱颖而出，被选为2010年上市的第一代雪佛兰沃蓝达（Volt）的软包锂离子电池供应商，双方之间的联系也因此更进一步。通用电动车项目总工程师Pam Fletcher表示，自那时起，LG化学交付的质量等级在2 ppm以下的电池数量迄今已超过2300万个。

“我们的工程师与LG工程师之间的合作关系，是一种自上而下的深入合作，”Fletcher告诉《汽车工程杂志》，“我们的团队正在并肩作战。”

Bolt的动力总成系统中很大一部分都是由LG负责，通用与LG的关系就像一些计算机制造商与芯片厂商英特尔之间的关系一样。有些业界观察人士认为，通用应该采取一定的营销手段，宣传Bolt使用了高技术含量的LG技术，就像笔记本电脑会贴上“内置英特尔（Intel Inside）”的标签那样。业界专家表示，LG的消费类电子产品在市场上受到高度认可。

这种为Bolt建立的，新型的通用-LG战略伙伴关系，也许是北美整车厂与海外供应商之间建立的此类关系中最广泛的一个。这对双方企业来说都是一次大胆的举措，代表了汽车产品开发的新方式，具有加快上市速度、降低系统成本的潜力。Bolt两次充电之间能行驶200英里（322 km）以上，最低定价约为35000美元，可以叫板特斯拉（预计2017年）即将推出的Model 3、日产聆风（Leaf）、以及宝马i3。

Reuss表示，通用汽车的组件战略有三个选择：生产、购买与结成伙伴关系，公司会从中作出最具经济效益和战略意义的选择。

作者：Lindsay Brooke

来源：SAE《汽车工程杂志》

翻译：SAE上海办公室

GM and LG Corp. partnering for 2017 Bolt EV may create new development model

General Motors announced on October 20 that it is partnering with Korean electronics giant LG Corp. in development of the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV’s entire powertrain and other vehicle subsystems, in a new business relationship that GM engineering executives said could point to a new model for electrified vehicle development.

The GM-LG “joint development agreement” for Bolt involves 11 new and unique components and subsystems, including the battery cells and pack; traction motor (a GM design); power inverter; high-power distribution module; battery heater; accessory power module; power line communications module, infotainment system; and instrument cluster.

Two years ago LG set up a new group, LG Electronics Vehicle Components, that is spearheading the joint effort with GM, according to the group’s Vice President, Ken Chang, who spoke with Automotive Engineering and other media at GM’s Warren, MI, Tech Center. Chang’s group includes engineers and technologists from the broader LG family of companies, including battery maker LG Chem; LG Innotek; LG Display; and LG Electronics. He said LG Electronics has invested more than $250 million in a new facility in Incheon, Korea, dedicated to Bolt product development and production.

The Bolt is scheduled to launch 3Q16 at GM’s Orion Township Assembly plant north of Detroit. According to Mark Reuss, Executive VP of Global Product Development, the new electric car is currently in the vehicle integration phase of development, with 100 examples now in road and other testing regimens. Reuss said Bolt will “set new standards for EVs and electrified-vehicle development,” with the LG partnership a “disruptive move.”

GM has had a growing relationship with LG since 2007, when the Korean company began supplying GM’s OnStar module. The companies furthered their bond when LG was selected out of hundreds of battery-cell specialists to supply the lithium-ion pouch-type battery cells for the first-generation Chevrolet Volt, which launched in 2010. Since then LG Chem has delivered more than 23 million cells at less than 2 ppm quality levels, said Pam Fletcher, GM’s Executive Chief Engineer for Electric Vehicles.

“This partnership represents a tremendous collaboration, between our engineers and LG’s, from top to bottom,” Fletcher told Automotive Engineering. “Our teams are working shoulder to shoulder.”

With LG responsible for so much of the Bolt’s powertrain, the relationship appears similar to that of some computer makers with chipmaker Intel. Some industry observers maintain that GM should market Bolt’s high level of LG technology content in some way, much like laptop badges that say “Intel Inside.” Industry experts note that LG’s consumer electronics products are highly respected.

The new GM-LG strategic partnership for Bolt may be the broadest of its kind between a North American automotive OEM and an offshore-based supplier. It is a bold move for both companies, and represents a new way of automotive product development, with potential for speeding time to market and reducing systems cost. The Bolt, with a range greater than 200 mi (322 km) between charges, will be priced from around $35,000 and will compete against Tesla’s upcoming (promised for 2017) Model 3 as well as the Nissan Leaf and BMW i3.

According to Reuss, GM’s component strategy has three options: build, buy, and partner, depending on which option makes the most economic and strategic sense.

Author: Lindsay Brooke

Source: SAE Automotive Engineering Magazine