General Motors has announced plans to be carbon neutral in its global products and operations by 2040, and that it will ‘eliminate tailpipe emission from new light-duty vehicles by 2035’.

On the road to that ambitious goal, the company said it will offer 30 all-electric models globally by the middle of this decade, and that 40 per cent of the company’s U.S. models will be battery electric by the end of 2025.

GM is investing $US27 billion ($AU35.5 billion) in electric and autonomous vehicles in the next five years – up from the $20 billion ($AU26.1 billion) planned before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The investment includes the continued development of its Ultium battery technology and updating manufacturing facilities. More than half of the company’s capital spending and product development team will be tasked to electric and electric autonomous vehicles programs.

GM said it will work with all stakeholders to build out the necessary charging infrastructure and promote consumer acceptance while maintaining high-quality jobs, and will offer zero-emissions vehicles across a range of price points.

To address emissions at its operations, it will source 100 per cent renewable energy to power its U.S. sites by 2030 and global sites by 2035.

“General Motors is joining governments and companies around the globe working to establish a safer, greener and better world,” said Mary Barra, GM Chairman and CEO. “We encourage others to follow suit and make a significant impact on our industry and on the economy as a whole.”

This carbon neutral/all-electric vehicles announcement by GM comes at an interesting time. The company has spent mightily in moving in this direction – for example in its Ultium battery technology, the massive investments in new electric vehicles such as the Hummer EV, and the BrightDrop business unit reveal at the CES show earlier this year. Even its new logo brings to mind an electric power plug.

And the timing of this announcement also paired up well with that from U.S. President Joe Biden, who just one day earlier had revealed that he would commit to converting the U.S. government’s fleet to U.S.-built electric vehicles. That government fleet is gigantic – reportedly around 650,000 vehicles – and GM will surely be looking to take a juicy slice of it.

On a side note, that decision by President Biden does once again show how other nations are embracing the idea of an EV future. Australia must be careful it isn’t left behind.

Source: Motor Trader e-Magazine (February 2021)

2 February 2021