GM Ventures

  • 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2018 Detroit auto show

    It looks like GM's investment arm, GM Ventures, has borne some real-world, fuel-saving fruit. Sophisticated engine-control algorithms under the hood of the 2019 Chevrolet Silverado full-size pickup truck, which make the truck's V-8 engines more efficient, came from work done by a company in which GM invested several years ago. In 2012, GM Ventures sank an undisclosed amount of cash into Tula Technology, a Silicon Valley startup that had developed software to provide a more flexible way to deactivate individual cylinders under varying power demands. DON'T MISS: 2019 Chevy Silverado: how a big...

  • Relay Rides smartphone app for car sharing, with 2012 Chevrolet Volt in background
    Onstar Lets Owners Rent Out Their GM Cars Via Relay Rides

    One way to drive greener is to use fewer cars more efficiently. The average car sits stationary for 23 hours a day; surely if it were used more, we would need fewer cars overall? That's the idea behind Relay Rides, a startup company that connects private parties who want to rent out their cars for...

  • Bright IDEA plug-in hybrid delivery van, prototype
    GM-Backed Bright Idea Plug-In Hybrid Van To Be Built By AM General

    How times change. Startup Bright Automotive announced last week that, once the company completes its funding, its advanced plug-in hybrid Idea delivery van would be assembled under contract by AM General. That's the outfit that built the Humvee and Hummer, and spawned the now-defunct HUMMER brand...

  • Lithium-ion battery pack for 2011 Chevrolet Volt
    GM Bets On Cheaper Electric-Car Batteries With Envia, Invests $17 Million

    Riding high on a bout of good press of its Chevy Volt, GM is putting $7 million into its next big bet on electric cars: cheaper, higher-energy batteries. In his state of the union address yesterday, President Obama called for the U.S. to be the first country to put one million electric cars on the...

  • Powermat wireless charge pad in Chevrolet Volt
    Chevy Volt First In Line For Powermat Mobile Device Wireless Charge Pad

    Soon you will be able to do away with those pesky charging cables for all your portable devices when driving as Powermat, a pioneer in wireless charging technology, is developing new technology that will essentially turn your car into a charging port for your mobile phone, MP3 player or handheld...

  • Ann Marie Sastry, CEO of startup lithium-ion cell maker Sakti3
    GM Ventures Invests In Startup Michigan Battery Cell Maker

    If nothing else, the new, post-bankruptcy General Motors is quicker moving than the old one. The latest proof? GM Ventures, its venture-investment arm, has quietly invested $3.2 million in Sakti3, Inc. Founded in 2007 and based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the company develops "next-generation"...

  • Bright IDEA plug-in hybrid delivery van, prototype

    When GM Ventures announced it would invest an unspecified amount of money into startup hybrid truck-maker Bright Automotive, several of us noted that the prototype Bright Idea delivery van used an 2.0-liter engine and transmission from a Dodge Caliber. The announcement two weeks ago from General Motors' venture investing arm immediately prompted the question: Would Bright switch over to using GM powertrains as it developed the prototype into a production model? Not surprisingly, the answer is yes. Bright Automotive executive vice-president of corporate strategy Michael Brylawski confirmed...

News First Drives Electric Cars Hybrids Guides Green Life