GM Touts Progress to Equitable, All-Electric Future in Sustainability Report
DETROIT, Mich. — In its 12th annual Sustainability Report, General Motors Co. detailed its progress on expanding electric-vehicle access, electrifying beyond the personal vehicle, and helping to ensure that climate action is equitable and inclusive as it transitions to an all-electric future.
GM is expanding its global EV manufacturing capacity to more than 2 million vehicles by the end of 2025 – half of which will be in North America, where the company looks to produce 400,000 EVs over the next 24 months, GM Chairwoman and CEO Mary Barra said in the report. In January, the company announced a $7 billion investment in four Michigan manufacturing sites, expected to create 4,000 new jobs and retain 1,000 while increasing battery cell and electric truck manufacturing capacity.
Additional sites in Spring Hill, Tenn., and Ingersoll, Ontario, are also in the process of converting to EV-related manufacturing with support from GM’s recent $35 billion investment in EV and autonomous vehicles through 2025, according to a release. GM is also investing nearly $750 million through 2025 to expand charging for residences, workplaces and public areas.
“General Motors is embracing our opportunity and our responsibility to create a better world for today and for generations to come,” Barra said. “Our global teams are working with great speed and integrity to make our vision of a zero-emissions, all-electric future a reality that is inclusive and accessible to all.”
The Ultium battery platform is at the heart of GM’s EV strategy, according to the release, which will be used in everything from mass-market to high-performance vehicles. Last year, GM introduced Ultium Charge 360, which integrates charging networks, GM vehicle mobile apps, and other products and services to simplify the overall charging experience, the company stated.
In June, GM announced it would prioritize equitable climate action to help ensure its all-electric future is inclusive for its current and future workforce, customers and communities that climate change may disproportionately impact, according to the release.. The company’s focus on equitable climate action is rooted in four key areas:
Future of work: GM reinforced prioritization of its current salaried and represented workforce, including its support for the UAW at its Ultium Cells LLC battery manufacturing plants in Ohio and Tennessee.
EV access: Offering a wide selection of EVs across a range of prices points. The company also announced programs for using its Hydrotec fuel cells for rail and aircraft applications.
Infrastructure equity: GM looks to ensure customers have access to charging stations where they are and understands the need to help address charging deserts and other scenarios that can hinder EV ownership.
Climate equity: Since launching its $50 Climate Equity Fund, GM has supported 30 nonprofits working to close the climate equity gap at the community level.
You can read the full 2021 Sustainability Report HERE.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
