As we head into the third quarter of 2022, GM’s long-anticipated EV lineup is becoming a reality and gaining some serious momentum. The American automaker has several EVs on the market now and has more in the production pipeline. In a recent media appearance, CEO Mary Barra conveyed her confidence in GM’s autonomous technology and reiterated the company’s goal of surpassing Tesla in EV production. Can GM pull it off?
General Motors is an American brand that needs no introduction. As a legacy automaker, GM was slow to join the EV revolution, or at least took a little longer than some to “get everyone on board.”
It’s easy to argue that a big factor in the decision to ditch the $35 billion lithium-ion Kool-Aid was gaining some market share from Tesla, which has been crowned America’s EV darling for more than a decade. .
In the year After a major recall on the Bolt in 2021, GMC’s EV delivery numbers have been dismal despite GMC’s bold contributions.
When the ball drops at midnight on December 31st, GM will have to pour champagne directly over the handwritten plaque from 2021 and wipe it all clean. The automaker kicked off 2022 with so much exciting news that I kept my eyes peeled for Chevy Equinox EVs hitting the fence.
Upgraded manufacturing facilities, new U.S. battery cell plants and several new BEV models were some of the headlines as GM continued to deliver on its promise to deliver 20 new EVs by 2023 and increase its EV production capacity to more than 1 million. Units in 2025.
And that’s not all. GM CEO Mary Barra has repeatedly said that the American automaker is striving to become the name to beat autos again, and that it has its sights set on Tesla.
Despite global supply chain issues, GM’s EV transition appears to be finally paying off, but can the automaker overtake Tesla in EV production? What about self-driving EVs?
GM remains confident that it will overtake Tesla in EV production
According to GM CEO Mary Barra in a recent interview Fox Business, the Tesla logo remains a target on the office dartboard. During the interview Count of KlamanBarra cited strong demand for GM EVs across all of its brands, as well as the company’s growth despite supply chain constraints.
To be honest, the supply has been stretched very thin since the start of covid, so I’m proud of what we’re doing. We are seeing progress with semiconductors and that has allowed us to make more and more vehicles.
According to Barra, one of two previously announced U.S. battery plants will open in Ohio “within weeks,” allowing GM to ramp up production of more EVs. U.S. battery production could be beneficial for both the automaker and consumers, as GM can sell customers a federal tax credit for certain U.S.-built EVs under new terms signed under the recently passed Deletion Act.
GM will need all the manufacturing capacity to catch up with Tesla, which delivered nearly 255,000 EVs in Q2 2022 alone. For comparison, GM delivered about 7,200 EVs in Q2. Still, Bara doesn’t seem proud. During the interview, the CEO of GM reiterated his belief that the company can pass Tesla in EV production, without providing a specific time frame yet. Barra previously said 2025, but that may have changed.
It might not be in 2025, but it’s certainly still possible. By introducing all-electric versions of the Chevy Silverado, Blazer SUV and Equinox compact SUV, GM is throwing three midgets into the competition that already have street cred thanks to their gasoline-powered predecessors.
If a few combustion-GM drivers transition to electric versions, the demand will be deafening. Plus, if GM can really get its production infrastructure to meet demand, well, we could be witnessing one helluva battle with Tesla.
Let’s not forget about Ford! The next five years of American EV production will be a sight to behold.
Can GM win the self-driving race?
GM is pouring billions of dollars into embracing electrification and outpacing Tesla, but what about the American automaker’s relatively infrastructural competition?
Contrary to her comments on EV production, Mary Barra didn’t actually come out and say that GM wants to beat Tesla in self-driving technology, but that doesn’t mean it’s not true. GM subsidiary Cruze Group in 2010. Starting in late 2021, it’s logging tens of thousands of miles on hundreds of trips with fully driverless rides in San Francisco. Bara spoke of the company’s growth.
I am very impressed and pleased with the progress that Cruise has made as the technology is ready under the leadership of Kyle Vogt (CEO). You know, I think a few years ago, everybody thought that autonomous vehicles were going to be everywhere, and they knew they were years away. not at all. It’s here now.
Barra goes on to discuss how she believes autonomous cars, like the GM cars used in the Cruze, will move people forward with their improved safety and lack of human error — the reason Barra accounts for 90% of all car accidents. .
On the flip side, autonomous vehicles are regularly dragged through the mud by the media for their dangers. Tesla has been clouded by a series of controversies over its self-driving technology. First, a completely autonomous ride, as CEO Elon Musk could be hired by an NFL team based on the amount of time based on the Stage 4 arrival date.
But the automaker is facing a class-action lawsuit alleging unfair defamation campaigns that are not only untrustworthy, but more damaging to actual EV education than many realize. Telling your beta testers not to complain about your software doesn’t help either.
We’re not here to say GM will surpass Tesla in EV production and/or self-driving technology. However, we would like to point out that the first one is gaining momentum and has the money to back up its bold words. Tesla is no spring chicken in the EV world and it certainly won’t go down without a fight.
No matter who ultimately takes the brand throne, we as consumers should end up the real winners, because we’ll see more innovation that this healthy competition breeds.
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