Chevrolet brought its new to Raleigh and the Research Triangle on Monday for demonstrations of the forthcoming electric powered vehicle. Helping speed the car to market were software tools from IBM.
Each of the vehicles will have their own Internet IP address and runs on software containing 10 million lines of code.
Progress Energy worked with Chevrolet to demonstrate the Volt near its corporate headquarters in Downtown Raleigh. on a demonstration project with the Volt and will utilize some of the vehicles.
According to Chevrolet, IBM software and simulation enabled the car maker to design and engineer the vehicle in 29 months rather than a traditional vehicle development that can take more than four years.
GM’s engineers utilized IBM in design of key electronic controls for the Volt battery system, electric drive unit and other electronics.
GM also used IBM supercomputers to design and test the Volt battery packs.
“Software and controls are a key differentiator, and have significant value in driving vehicle development and providing unique solutions to our customers, especially in vehicles as advanced as the Chevrolet Volt," said Micky Bly, GM Executive Director of Global Electrical Systems, Hybrids, Electric Vehicles and Batteries, in a statement. "We must have the ability to deliver innovative electronics and software faster than our competitors and that requires us to develop our vehicles with a set of world-class software processes and tools.”
IBM employs some 10,000 people in the Triangle area.
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