Moving the Deadline
Overall, GM is adjusting the timeline for its EV rollout. For instance, Cadillac was planned to go all-electric by 2030. But with that deadline so close, it won’t happen without potentially disastrous results. In the current market, hybrids have become the crucial bridge between pure combustion and electric.
Now, GM isn’t the only one moving deadlines. Many more automakers have gone on record saying they are moving their respective deadlines for going full electric as well. For now, the goal appears to be achieving carbon neutrality first, and electrifying (hybridizing) entire model ranges.
Cadillac
GM’s EV Hurdles
In a video interview with Fortune magazine, CEO Mary Barra said EVs are the end game, but acknowledged the road there hasn’t been easy. She cited regulatory changes and charging infrastructure as factors. The framework is there, but implementation has been challenging.
In the interview, the CEO said, “So when you look at where all auto companies in the U.S. were a couple of years ago, we were moving to a regulatory environment where you had to be making 40 to 50 percent of your EVs by 2030, or your vehicles had to be EVs by 2030. And so I think that’s where we were all moving to as the regulatory environment changed.”
She added, “I think one of the fundamentals also, though, is what enables EVs is charging infrastructure, and although there were funds passed in the infrastructure bill a few years
ago, it’s been difficult due to permitting and a whole bunch of it to get those in the ground”
Barra also cited other governments’ push toward EVs, particularly China and Europe, where EV demand remains strong and, in the latter case, is growing further. This contrasts sharply with the U.S. market, where demand has cooled and left many EVs on dealer lots. Governments there have also been more proactive in encouraging the buying public to make the switch, albeit at the cost of squeezing internal combustion power out with ever-tightening regulations. That said, the government should be able to provide policies to support EVs, or at the very least, plug-in hybrids.
GMC
The Bridge
The best GM, or any other automaker, can do right now is expand hybrid offerings. Looking at the company’s portfolio right now, it’s missing a powertrain, especially in crucial segments such as the compact and midsize crossover classes. GM did dabble in hybrids previously, but it wasn’t very successful.
The company plans to rectify that soon. Yes, pure combustion vehicles will remain, but hybrids will soon join the ranks. “We have a great and very efficient internal combustion engine portfolio, and we have a very strong EV portfolio. And we’ll have hybrids in the segments we think are important to give customers a full range, and they can pick what they want,” said Barra.
As for going full electric, Barra says it will eventually happen, but it’s safe to say it won’t be by 2035. She’s banking on policies that build robust charging infrastructure to quell notions of range anxiety. While EVs today offer far longer ranges than ever, range anxiety still remains a worry because of the relative lack of charging infrastructure. “That’s why charging infrastructure is so important for people to have confidence to switch to EVs; I think we’ll get there. I think because of the policy in this country, it’s going to take a little longer,” said the CEO.
Chevrolet
