By Jenn McKeogh, senior manager, GM News
When it comes to the inner workings of electric vehicles, the battery is the shining star. But when you’re fully charged and driving down the road, what’s happening between the battery and the rest of the vehicle? Mark Voss can tell you.
Voss is an assistant chief engineer of battery electric truck power electronics at GM. Together with his team, he engineers, develops, and tests how EV batteries power the systems and accessories customers interact with each time they get behind the wheel.
Journey to GM
Voss’s first experience with GM dates back to 1994 when he worked at an automotive powertrain supplier.
“Like most kids after college, I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do with my career,” says Voss. “After working at a supplier for a few years and interacting with many OEMs, I realized GM had some of the best products and people. I knew that’s where I wanted to be.”
In 1998, Voss began working as a contractor assigned to quality engineering projects at what was then GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant where the GM EV1, the world’s first mass-produced consumer electric vehicle, was built (now called Factory ZERO, home to the Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC Sierra EV, Cadillac ESCALADE IQ, and GMC HUMMER EV). Voss was then hired directly by GM as a salaried engineer in 2000.
V8s to EVs
Voss spent a decade working as a lead design release engineer for Chevrolet’s Corvette product lines, working on the C5 through C7 generations. A stint in body structures engineering and a move into management made Voss perfectly suited for his next chapter: electrification.
Voss worked with leadership to create a new “battery structure team” in 2018, working on battery systems for future products like the ultra-luxury Cadillac CELESTIQ, the all-electric LYRIQ, and more. Voss moved around in the EV propulsion space, including a stint in Rechargeable Energy Storage Systems, a holistic term for the complete EV battery, including cells, modules, packs and associated connections.
CAPTION: Voss works on the Warren, Michigan team responsible for power electronics in GM's battery electric trucks.
In October of 2024, Voss took on his current role as assistant chief engineer of power electronics for GM’s battery electric trucks, including the GMC HUMMER EV, GMC Sierra EV, Chevy Silverado EV, and Chevy Brightdrop electric commercial van.
Based out of GM’s global technical center in Warren, Michigan, Voss spends his days thinking about the parts that connect the RESS to everything that the battery powers – from the drive units to power seats, GM Energy’s vehicle-to-home products, phone chargers, and more.
“There are all kinds of modules, accessories, drive units, and other systems in the car that ‘talk’ to the RESS system," says Voss. “Making sure RESS correctly and efficiently powers those components is my piece of the electrification puzzle.”
Voss’s expertise lies in his experience on both sides of EV propulsion.
“RESS is the shiny toy we all talk about, but you still have to make that work with all the other parts of the vehicle,” says Voss. “Taking the energy from RESS and making it functional is vital to the consumer experience.”
Tinkerer at heart
Voss’s role in GM’s electric vehicle strategy is a natural step in his lifelong passion for cars.
"I’ve always been a car guy,” he says. “I live, breathe and dream cars. I’ve always loved putting things together and building things.”
And Voss knows he’s exactly where he should be. He reflects on a moment with his mother a few years ago, as he was well into his career at GM.
“My mom brought over a diary from when I was in first or second grade. There was a section where I had to write about what I wanted to be when I grew up,” says Voss. “It said ‘When I grow up I want to be an engineer and work for GM. I will have a Corvette and a Blazer, and I’ll be cool.’" On the day that Voss’s mom came to visit, he actually had a Corvette and a Blazer sitting in his driveway. "It was just meant to be,” Voss said.
At heart, Voss is a tinkerer, inspired by learning, inventing, and innovating – and that’s exactly what he’s doing now.
“My career has always involved creating new tech, better parts, innovative new battery systems, and other things that have never been done. That’s what keeps me going.”
Check out more from the series:
When it comes to the inner workings of electric vehicles, the battery is the shining star. But when you’re fully charged and driving down the road, what’s happening between the battery and the rest of the vehicle? Mark Voss can tell you.
Voss is an assistant chief engineer of battery electric truck power electronics at GM. Together with his team, he engineers, develops, and tests how EV batteries power the systems and accessories customers interact with each time they get behind the wheel.
Journey to GM
Voss’s first experience with GM dates back to 1994 when he worked at an automotive powertrain supplier.
“Like most kids after college, I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do with my career,” says Voss. “After working at a supplier for a few years and interacting with many OEMs, I realized GM had some of the best products and people. I knew that’s where I wanted to be.”
In 1998, Voss began working as a contractor assigned to quality engineering projects at what was then GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant where the GM EV1, the world’s first mass-produced consumer electric vehicle, was built (now called Factory ZERO, home to the Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC Sierra EV, Cadillac ESCALADE IQ, and GMC HUMMER EV). Voss was then hired directly by GM as a salaried engineer in 2000.
V8s to EVs
Voss spent a decade working as a lead design release engineer for Chevrolet’s Corvette product lines, working on the C5 through C7 generations. A stint in body structures engineering and a move into management made Voss perfectly suited for his next chapter: electrification.
Voss worked with leadership to create a new “battery structure team” in 2018, working on battery systems for future products like the ultra-luxury Cadillac CELESTIQ, the all-electric LYRIQ, and more. Voss moved around in the EV propulsion space, including a stint in Rechargeable Energy Storage Systems, a holistic term for the complete EV battery, including cells, modules, packs and associated connections.
In October of 2024, Voss took on his current role as assistant chief engineer of power electronics for GM’s battery electric trucks, including the GMC HUMMER EV, GMC Sierra EV, Chevy Silverado EV, and Chevy Brightdrop electric commercial van.
Based out of GM’s global technical center in Warren, Michigan, Voss spends his days thinking about the parts that connect the RESS to everything that the battery powers – from the drive units to power seats, GM Energy’s vehicle-to-home products, phone chargers, and more.
“There are all kinds of modules, accessories, drive units, and other systems in the car that ‘talk’ to the RESS system," says Voss. “Making sure RESS correctly and efficiently powers those components is my piece of the electrification puzzle.”
Voss’s expertise lies in his experience on both sides of EV propulsion.
“RESS is the shiny toy we all talk about, but you still have to make that work with all the other parts of the vehicle,” says Voss. “Taking the energy from RESS and making it functional is vital to the consumer experience.”
Tinkerer at heart
Voss’s role in GM’s electric vehicle strategy is a natural step in his lifelong passion for cars.
"I’ve always been a car guy,” he says. “I live, breathe and dream cars. I’ve always loved putting things together and building things.”
And Voss knows he’s exactly where he should be. He reflects on a moment with his mother a few years ago, as he was well into his career at GM.
“My mom brought over a diary from when I was in first or second grade. There was a section where I had to write about what I wanted to be when I grew up,” says Voss. “It said ‘When I grow up I want to be an engineer and work for GM. I will have a Corvette and a Blazer, and I’ll be cool.’" On the day that Voss’s mom came to visit, he actually had a Corvette and a Blazer sitting in his driveway. "It was just meant to be,” Voss said.
At heart, Voss is a tinkerer, inspired by learning, inventing, and innovating – and that’s exactly what he’s doing now.
“My career has always involved creating new tech, better parts, innovative new battery systems, and other things that have never been done. That’s what keeps me going.”
Check out more from the series: