General Motors is the latest automaker to pledge that it will phase out combustion engines worldwide, replacing the fleet with electric-powered vehicles. In a release today, GM sets a 2035 target to stop selling vehicles powered by a gasoline or diesel engine with the goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2040. That means cleaner new vehicles, as well as the plants that make them which will be powered with renewable energy.
“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, in the release. “We encourage others to follow suit and make a significant impact on our industry and on the economy as a whole.”
EVs a Priority for CEO Mary Barra
GM is spending $27 billion to develop electric and autonomous vehicles by the end of 2025. The portfolio will include 30 all-electric vehicles globally, offering EVs in all sizes and body styles including fullsize pickup trucks, assorted crossovers, and luxury sedans. In the U.S., 40 percent of models offered will be battery-electric powered.
More Charging Stations Needed
The automaker is also working with the industry to promote more charging stations, knowing that will help relieve the concerns of customers reluctant to buy an electric vehicle for fear they will run out of range and be stranded.
In addition to its Ultium battery technology to power a new generation of electric vehicles on a new architecture, GM continues to work on fuel cells.
GM is also working with suppliers to follow best practices when it comes to green initiatives.
Still Improving Gas Engines
In the interim, GM will continue to improve the efficiency of its combustion engines, the ones that power more than 95 percent of its current portfolio, generating the revenue and profits needed to invest in electric vehicles.
Many countries, including Japan and the United Kingdom, have mandated the end of the combustion-only new vehicles by the next decade and automakers are increasingly setting their own EV-only targets. Ford, Volvo, Nissan, Volkswagen, Daimler and others, including luxury marque Bentley, have made ambitions plans.
