Automotive News Awards Three ‘Rising Stars’ at General Motors

On August 17, 2026, GM News announced Automotive News recognized three General Motors employees as 2026 “Rising Stars” for their contributions to technologies designed to make vehicles more capable, affordable, and easier to use. Shriram Santhanagopalan, Rene Strauss, and William Hotchkiss are working in battery engineering, artificial intelligence, and EV charging, respectively, helping GM advance technologies that could shape its next generation of vehicles.

LMR Batteries

Santhanagopalan leads a team developing lithium manganese-rich (LMR) battery chemistry, with the goal of making advanced EV batteries more affordable while maintaining the range customers expect. The work focuses on matching specific battery chemistries to individual vehicle applications, potentially improving both performance and value.

Ford and General Motors are both developing lithium manganese-rich (LMR) batteries as a potential next-generation EV chemistry that could deliver longer range at a lower cost. LMR replaces much of the expensive nickel and cobalt used in conventional high-nickel batteries with more abundant and affordable manganese. Ford has developed its own LMR chemistry at its Ion Park battery research center in Michigan and is producing second-generation cells on a pilot line, with the goal of bringing the technology to future EVs by the end of the decade.

GM is further along with commercialization plans. In partnership with LG Energy Solution, GM plans to begin U.S. production of prismatic LMR cells through Ultium Cells in 2028. GM intends to use the batteries initially in electric trucks and full-size SUVs, targeting more than 400 miles of range while significantly reducing battery-pack costs. GM says its LMR cells can deliver 33% higher energy density than comparable LFP cells. Both automakers see LMR as a potential middle ground between lower-cost LFP and more expensive high-nickel batteries, potentially combining affordability with greater energy density and driving range.

Virtual Methods, Data, and AI

Strauss works across GM’s product development organization on virtual methods, data, and AI. His team is developing AI-powered tools for vehicle development, simulation, virtual testing, validation, and refinement. These technologies can reduce traditional development bottlenecks, allowing engineers to work more efficiently and devote more time to innovation.

Energy Pass

Hotchkiss leads GM’s public charging efforts, working to expand access to reliable and easy-to-use EV chargers. His team is developing partnerships with utilities and legislators while working to expand the nation’s fast-charging network.

In June, Hotchkiss’s team launched Energy Pass. GM launched Energy Pass to make public EV charging easier for Chevrolet, Cadillac, and GMC EV owners. Integrated into the MyChevrolet, MyCadillac, and MyGMC apps, the service lets drivers find chargers, start and stop charging, monitor sessions, and manage payments and receipts through a single account instead of using separate apps for different charging networks.

At launch, Energy Pass supports Tesla Superchargers, IONNA Rechargeries, and Electrify America, with ChargePoint and EVgo being added. Together, the networks represent nearly 70% of U.S. DC fast chargers, along with thousands of Level 2 stations. The service also supports Plug & Charge at IONNA and EVgo, with ChargePoint and Tesla support planned.

The move addresses one of the biggest frustrations with public EV charging: a fragmented ecosystem requiring drivers to manage multiple accounts, apps, and payment methods. By consolidating major charging networks into one platform, GM is reducing friction and making public charging more similar to the straightforward experience drivers expect from gas stations.

Together, advances in battery chemistry, AI-powered development, and charging infrastructure address some of the biggest challenges facing EV adoption. The work of Santhanagopalan, Strauss, and Hotchkiss demonstrates how specialized technology development can directly improve the ownership experience for GM customers, and these advancements also benefit the greater EV industry ecosystem, as well as the EV adoption experience.