EN-V is here!
Since the launch of our GM Expo campaign on September 24, 2009, I have been talking with everyone about General Motors' new automobile "DNA" of electrification and connectivity. I have told you that we'll be showcasing future urban transportation that will be free from petroleum and emissions, free from congestion and accidents, and more fun and fashionable than ever before.
On March 24, 2010, in Shanghai, China, we unveiled the reinvention of the automobile – the EN-V. This vehicle truly encompasses our vision of future urban transportation.
EN-V, which is short for Electric Networked-Vehicle, maintains the core principle of personal mobility – freedom – while helping remove the motor vehicle from the environmental debate and redefining design leadership. EN-V is a two-seat electric vehicle powered by electronic motors. Lithium-ion batteries are used for electricity storage. Recharging can be done by conventional conductive charging using household power in as little as four hours, allowing EN-V to travel at least 40 kilometers with zero-emission on a single charge.
But EN-V is far more than an electric vehicle. GM's advanced technology-connectivity makes it stand out from others. By combining the Global Positioning System (GPS) with vehicle-to-vehicle communications and distance-sensing technologies, the EN-V concept can drive autonomously. EN-V can also leverage wireless communications to enable a "social network" that can be used by drivers and occupants to communicate with friends or business associates while on the go. That is why we call it networked. The ability to communicate with other vehicles and with the infrastructure could dramatically reduce the number of vehicle accidents.
Three EN-V models were unveiled in last week. They represent three different characteristics that emphasize the enjoyable nature of future transportation: Jiao (Pride), Miao (Magic) and Xiao (Laugh).
At our launch event, the EN-V that I drove was Xiao. Xiao was designed by GM Holden’s design team in Australia (my home country!) and portrays a more light-hearted appeal, with its "gumball blue" paint and nautical-inspired style. Additionally, Jiao was penned by designers at GM Europe and the Miao was designed at the General Motors Advanced Design Studio in the States. Miao takes its design cues from the consumer electronics industry, as evidenced by its sleek, masculine looks. Jiao was influenced from bullet trains and Chinese opera masks, which you can see through its clean lines and bright paintwork.
It was really exciting to see our guests' faces when the EN-V's came out on stage especially when Xiao demonstrated autonomous driving in the stage show. The connectivity features combined with the EN-Vs' electric motor creates a new class of personal urban mobility. We launched EN-V's mini-site on GM World Expo 2010 Shanghai Official Website (www.gmexpo2010.com), click here to learn more about EN-V!
We are less than 30 days away from the opening of Expo. I can't wait for all of you to see the EN-Vs in our SAIC-GM Pavilion during World Expo 2010 Shanghai. Stay tuned for more information regarding the EN-V as well as sneak peeks of our pavilion.
