In a bold move back in 2021, General Motors (GM) CEO Mary Barra took the automotive world by surprise when she revealed the company’s ambitious plan to achieve zero-emissions status by 2035. This landmark goal involved a significant milestone: GM aimed to possess the capacity to produce one million electric vehicles (EVs) annually in North America by the end of 2025. However, in a recent interview with CNBC, Barra admitted that GM will fall short of this target.
“There’s a bit of a slowdown. We won’t reach a million because the market just isn’t developing as quickly as expected. But we will get there,” Barra mentioned during the CNBC interview.
GM’s Vision for an All-Electric Future by 2035
In 2021, GM’s CEO Mary Barra announced that the company aimed to transition all of its light-duty vehicles to fully electric power by 2035.
Despite having some of their best months ever for EV sales, General Motors has faced numerous challenges in its transition to electric mobility. The introduction of its Ultium-based vehicles has been marked by software glitches, manufacturing hiccups, and quality control issues. Problems have ranged from malfunctioning infotainment screens in the Blazer and Lyriq to GMC Hummer trucks experiencing failures at DC fast chargers. Production issues have further complicated matters, with setbacks occurring at plants responsible for EV parts and vehicle assembly.
Many of GM’s difficulties stem from software-related issues, which Barra acknowledges as a critical aspect of the company’s electrified future. “Moving to an all-electric future is significant, but what might be even more important is that the vehicle functions effectively as a software platform,” she stated. However, GM’s track record with software has been less than stellar, causing adverse press and customer dissatisfaction across its brands.
Nonetheless, Barra remains hopeful. Despite a statement that hinted at some possible pullback by saying, “we will be guided by the customer,” she reassured viewers that GM is committed to achieving its production goals. She emphasized that as charging infrastructure improves and as consumers become more acquainted with EVs, market growth is inevitable.
“The next ten to twelve years will see transformative changes in how people move,” Barra asserted.
It seems optimism may be warranted. General Motors appears to be making genuine efforts to resolve its issues. Price reductions and updates to the Blazer EV have led to increased sales. The new Equinox EV has received favorable initial reviews and offers an attractive price point to potential buyers. Further, some industry insiders believe the concerns over GM’s decision to move away from Apple CarPlay are exaggerated, citing their proprietary Google-based solution as adequate.
Barra did not provide a new timeline for when GM might achieve its one million EVs production capacity goal. However, there is confidence within the company that they will eventually reach this milestone.
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—William Kouch, Editor of Electric Vehicles for Automotive.fyi
