DETROIT—General Motors Company reported in August that Automotive News recognized three standout General Motors employees, selected for their roles in developing cutting-edge technologies that create better vehicles for GM’s customers.
Automotive News named Shriram Santhanagopalan, Rene Strauss, and William Hotchkiss to its 2026 “Rising Stars” list. From lower ownership costs to easier EV charging, the work of these three employees helps GM pioneer technology that makes for smarter, higher-quality vehicles, GM stated in a company release.
“The individual honors underscore the many people across GM who pioneer developments in battery chemistry, AI, and charging technology, keeping GM at the forefront of the automotive industry and beyond,” the release stated.
An LMR battery cell. (Photo courtesy General Motors Company)
In advanced battery engineering, a team led by Shriram Santhanagopalan is pushing the boundaries of lithium manganese-rich (LMR) chemistry, aiming to make advanced battery technology more affordable, while still delivering the EV range customers expect.
Santhanagopalan and his team’s work is central to developing the right battery for the right application. This specificity of battery chemistry gives customers the performance and value they’ll expect from EVs of the future, by tailoring specific chemistries to the product they’re best suited to, the company said in the release.
Across GM’s product development organization, specialists in virtual methods, data, and AI, such as Rene Strauss, are building and deploying new AI-powered tools that help GM develop, validate, and refine vehicles faster and with more confidence. From simulation to virtual testing, these advanced AI capabilities can uncork traditional bottlenecks, allowing GM engineers to work more efficiently and, ultimately, spend more time innovating.
An AI-powered, virtual wind tunnel allows designers and aerodynamicists to collaborate in real time. (Graphic courtesy General Motors Company)
William Hotchkiss serves as GM’s head of public charging, leading a team that’s expanding access to public EV charging. The team’s goal is to improve people’s access to public chargers, as well as bolstering the reliability and ease of use of those chargers. By forging strategic partnerships with legislators and utilities, Hotchkiss’s team also intends to grow the nation’s fast‑charging footprint.
In June, Hotchkiss’s team launched Energy Pass. It’s one small piece of GM EV owners’ smartphone app experience, but Energy Pass required monumental effort. It took years of work and relationship building to bring the top names in public charging together, all to make EV charging feel more seamless, the company said.
Taken together, advances in batteries, AI‑driven development tools, and public charging are said to feed into what matters most—offering safe, seamless, confidence‑inspiring products and vehicles for GM’s customers.
“General Motors engineers like Santhanagopalan, Strauss, and Hotchkiss are performing deep, specialized work across a wide array of fields,” the release said. “That pioneering work comes together in the experiences GM vehicle owners feel every time they get behind the wheel.”