GM to Hire 3,000 Tech-Savvy Employees for EV Development

General Motors plans to hire around 3,000 new employees through the first quarter of 2021 to ramp up work on the development of future vehicles. The Detroit-based automaker said it is searching for people with prior experience in developing infotainment software and are familiar with iOS and Android platforms, as well as people who can work with Java.

The new hires will be focused on developing GM’s electric vehicles, self-driving technology, and the Ultium battery system the manufacturer is equipping its EVs with.

“General Motors wants to put everyone in an EV,” GM’s Vice President of Electric and Autonomous Vehicles Ken Morris told the media. “It’s amazing what we’re able to do today versus just five years ago.”

But Morris also acknowledged that the company needs “extra horsepower” to make its EV plans possible, hence the focus on hiring tech-savvy individuals. The job openings won’t be limited to people based in Detroit, as much of the work can be done remotely.

According to Morris, the current work-from-home setup in place for employees has been “enormously effective” for the company that it even managed to pull a couple of electric-vehicle programs ahead of schedule. The executive, however, declined to reveal which vehicles he was referring to.

It takes less time for automakers to develop electric vehicles compared to standard diesel-powered ones. With GM’s plans to bolster its product development efforts, it is expected to make a significant improvement in the production timeline, especially taking into account GM CEO Mary Barra’s promise of selling 1 million EVs by 2025.

Right now, GM is working on the release of the Hummer EV pickup and Cadillac Lyriq. Both models will be equipped with the brand’s Ultium battery, with “plenty of other Ultium-based vehicles to come,” according to Morris.