https://ift.tt/3qC3RFr CEO Doesn’t Want Electric Cars Available Only to the Rich

-

The first splash in a new wave of electric vehicles from General Motors is the $112,595 2022 GMC Hummer EV full-size electric pickup truck. So, does that mean GM sees EVs as transportation for the rich? Not at all.

GM chairman and CEO Mary Barra wants “equitable climate action” and put some money behind her words in announcing a new fund to address climate change and help bring electric transportation to all.

Speaking at the Aspen Ideas Festival, Barra expressed her concerns that the EV world GM is helping to create must offer electric vehicles of all sizes, shapes, and price points in the future, but must also address the need for those who buy used vehicles and those who will rely on ride sharing.

GM Introduces Climate Equity Fund

Barra announced a $25 million Climate Equity Fund to help close equity gaps in the transition to electric vehicles and other sustainable technology knowing climate change does not impact every community equally. Grassroots non-profit community organizations can apply for funding for work that addresses issues associated with climate change.

Barra made the announcement as heavy rains once again deluged Detroit where GM is headquartered. The area continues to recover from massive flooding that closed freeways, stranded motorists, knocked out electricity, flooded homes and businesses, and sparked more concern about the effect of climate change on weather patterns.

New, Used, and Rideshare Vehicles Need to Be Electric

Barra’s hope is that GM will no longer sell new vehicles with tailpipes by 2035 and that customers of all economic status will be able to take advantage of an EV-centric world that includes affordable entry-level EVs, used EVs, and fleets of EVs for ride sharing. It also includes making sure all owners, even those who live in apartments, can easily charge electric vehicles. We want to ensure EVs for everyone, Barra says.

Barra also addressed concerns that electric vehicles have fewer parts which will result in fewer jobs building them. The antidote to that is bringing more work in-house. That includes the four battery cell plants GM has announced that will make the crucial battery cells in the U.S. rather than importing them.

Worker Training Underway

Training GM’s workforce to make electric vehicles is already underway as the 2022 GMC Hummer prepares to launch this fall, to be followed by more EVs, including the Cruise Origin autonomous robo-taxi.

GM also created BrightDrop for autonomous delivery service using the electric BrightDrop EV600 commercial van that will go into production at the CAMI plant in Ontario later this year.

The Climate Equity Fund is in addition to the $35 billion that GM is investing in electric and autonomous vehicles with plans to introduce 30 new EVs globally by 2025, retool plants to make electric vehicles, develop more dense and less costly battery cells and manufacture them domestically, and expand the charging network.

“Climate change does not impact every community equally,” Barra said. GM wants to be a leader in bringing solutions to its employees, dealers, suppliers, and the communities they live in, she said, so no one is left out in the transition to a cleaner future.

The post GM CEO Doesn’t Want Electric Cars Available Only to the Rich appeared first on MotorTrend.



from MotorTrend

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mercedes Benz F 1015 Luxury In Motion

-
Image
The car's predecessor, the Mercedes-Benz W111 (produced 1959–1971) helped Daimler develop greater sales and achieve economy of scale production. Whereas in the 1950s, Mercedes-Benz was producing the coachwork 300 S and 300 SLs and all but hand-built 300 Adenauers alongside conveyor assembled Pontons (190, 190SL and 220) etc., the fintail ( German : Heckflosse ) family united the entire Mercedes-Benz range of vehicles onto one automobile platform , reducing production time and costs. However, the design fashion of the early 1960s changed. For example, the tail fins, originally intended to improve aerodynamic stability, died out within a few years as a fashion accessory. By the time the 2-door coupe and cabriolet W111s were launched, the fins lost their chrome trim and sharp appearance, the arrival of the W113 Pagoda in 1963 saw them further buried into the trunk's contour, and finally disappeared on the W100 600 in 1964. The upgrade of the W111 began under the l
Read more

https://ift.tt/3iMzCd8 the Army Now: Meet the Mil-Spec Citroën Ami

-
Image
Okay, we admit it, our obsession with Citroën’s tiny Ami electric car is beginning to border on the unhealthy. We’ve already written multiple articles on this 8-hp French penalty box, and are eagerly awaiting its arrival to les Etats-Unis as part of the Free2Move rideshare fleet . Truth is, for people who do what we do, the Ami is the gift that keeps on giving. It’s comedy gold: silly-looking, ridiculously underpowered, and French. And now it seems it’s the Armée de Terre (ground forces) latest recruit. The French military has added four Citroën Amis to the motor fleet at its base in Istres in the south of France, which means perfect sense. How can any self-respecting republic protect the homeland without a micro-car that looks the same coming as it does going? Turns out that, much to our chagrin, the French army will not be marching into battle at the wheel of these voiturettes . Actually, the truth is both a bit boring and disappointingly sensible: The Amis will be used to
Read more

https://ift.tt/3A9sAoS Concept Recharge First Look: Fully Upgradable

-
Image
The Volvo Concept Recharge heralds a new era for the brand, and maybe for the industry—one in which platforms are engineered for evolution. Lots of cars offer over-the-air software updates to keep customers engaged in, and in love with, their vehicles. But in the fast-moving automotive future, keeping a car’s technology current will require more than just freshened code. So Volvo envisions planning and packaging its cars with an expectation of periodic hardware updates as well. Volvo’s chief executive officer Håkan Samuelsson said, “If a car is to live for, let’s say 10 years, I don’t see computing hardware living that long. If you could upgrade maybe after half that time, you could give the car even more functionality in the last five years.” The sentiment was echoed by Mickey Kataria, the director of product management at—Volvo’s electrical architecture partner—Google. “I think we’ll have to introduce some notion of hardware upgradability,” adding this bit of context: “People alrea
Read more