General Motors released Thursday its 10th annual Sustainability Report, providing transparency and accountability on its progress and key accomplishments. The report outlines GM’s stance on key issues like environmental stewardship, details of its upcoming flood of electric vehicles, safety, inclusion, and health and well-being.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, GM has remained committed to its vision of a world with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion. In March, GM debuted its new Ultium battery technology, which will enable GM to offer an EV for everyone. And while the pandemic caused GM to temporarily suspend operations in the United States, the company continued to make progress on its electric vehicle development, and all Ultium platform EVs remain on schedule.
An Expanding EV Portfolio
In recent years, GM’s electric future has been best seen in the Chevrolet Bolt EV, which in model year 2020 is capable of driving an EPA-estimated 259 miles — a 21-mile increase from the previous model — on a single charge and is sold at an affordable price.
Beginning in 2020, GM’s EV portfolio will begin to expand with launches by Chevrolet, GMC and Buick. The next Chevrolet EV will be a new version of the Bolt EV, launching in 2021 as a 2022 model, followed by the 2022 Bolt EUV, launching Summer 2021.
The Bolt EUV will be the first vehicle outside of the Cadillac brand to feature Super Cruise, the industry’s first true hands-free driver assistance technology for the highway. The Cruise Origin, a self-driving, electric shared vehicle, shown to the public in January 2020 in San Francisco, was the first product revealed using GM’s third-generation EV platform and Ultium batteries. Later in 2020, GM plans to reveal the Cadillac Lyriq luxury SUV.
Production of the Ultium-powered GMC Hummer EV is expected to begin in Fall 2021 at the Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant. Beyond North America, GM also plans an acceleration of electrification technology in China, the world’s largest EV market. GM is applying a diverse range of new energy solutions for China’s global and local brands, and the SAIC-GM joint venture will invest $4.3 billion to introduce at least nine hybrid or electric models over the next five years.
GM is well on its way to an all-electric future, with a commitment to 20 new electric vehicles by 2023 and plans for additional models taking us beyond that. GM’s all-new modular platform removes significant physical constraints associated with conventional vehicles — no need to build around gas tanks, engines, radiator or exhaust pipes, for example. In the past, EV design placed great importance on differentiating the EV visually from its ICE counterparts. No more. The flexibility of this new platform frees designers to proportion vehicles to meet unique brand personas and to design around vehicle and customer segment needs.
Here are the EVs that each GM brand anticipates introducing.
CADILLAC
GM’s luxury brand, plans to introduce four electric SUVs and one statement vehicle including:
• Cadillac Lyriq SUV, which is designed to hit the heart of the crossover market and meet the needs of customers around the world.
• A globally sized luxury three-row SUV that emphasizes interior space and cargo capability for the modern family.
• An SUV EV with attainable luxury— similar to today’s Cadillac XT4 — and aimed at this key global growth segment.
• A full-size, three-row luxury SUV that builds on the DNA of the brand’s highly successful Escalade.
• The Cadillac Celestiq Statement Vehicle that is an ultra-lux EV with bespoke, hand-assembled craftmanship and project build rate of only 1.2 vehicles per day.
CHEVROLET
Building on the success of the 2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV, which offers new front-end design and other exterior updates, the brand intends to launch:
• A mid-sized SUV targeted to U.S. customers who are looking for an electric option in this segment.
• Chevrolet BET Truck, which will be the brand’s first electric full-size pickup, offering 400+ miles of range on a single charge.
• Chevrolet Bolt EUV that features a distinctive SUV design inspired by the Chevy Blazer and offers Super Cruise driver assistance — the first vehicle outside of Cadillac to do so.
GMC
Teased during the 2020 Super Bowl telecast, GMC is bringing back the iconic Hummer brand through two models:
• GMC Hummer EV truck that boasts performance of 1,000 horsepower, 11,500 lb-ft of torque and 0 to 60 mph acceleration in three seconds.
• GMC Hummer EV SUV builds off the GMC Hummer EV truck but will be configured as an off-road-capable SUV.
BUICK
Two new all-electric entries for the Buick portfolio will carry the new face of the brand:
• A Buick SUV will offer more conventional crossover proportion that maximizes interior space and cargo.
• A Buick CUV will feature more expressive proportion with a greater emphasis on form and athletic fashion.
In addition, the Cruise Origin autonomous vehicle will be the first production vehicle from GM’s partnership with Honda.
GM is also on track to:
- Allocate more than $20 billion of capital and engineering resources to its electric and autonomous vehicle programs between 2020 and 2025.
- Continue site preparation at GM and LG Chem’s joint venture cell manufacturing plant, Ultium Cells LLC, in Lordstown, Ohio.
- Deliver EVs that will allow GM to compete for nearly every customer, from those seeking a high-performance machine to a full-size truck. The Ultium battery enables a breadth of vehicles to be built across brands and segments on the same platform. Upcoming products include the Cadillac LYRIQ, which will go into production in 2022; the GMC HUMMER EV, which will go into production in late 2021; and the Cruise Origin.
GM also recognizes the need for companies to leverage resources and leadership to drive positive change for the common good. During the pandemic, GM partnered with Ventec Life Systems to build 30,000 ventilators at GM’s Kokomo, Indiana facility. In addition to building ventilators, GM employees are producing face masks at facilities in Brazil, China, Mexico, Canada and the United States. All production is on track, with each site producing millions of face masks each month to help the communities where GM employees live and work.
This is the first sustainability report to be released since GM made a commitment to become the most inclusive company in the world. To achieve this goal, GM commissioned an Inclusion Advisory Board. Chaired by GM Chairman and CEO Mary Barra, the board consists of internal and external advisors dedicated to guiding GM’s commitment to building a culture that is safe and equitable.
“The past several months have been difficult and our world has changed. As we move through the world in a new way, GM is as determined as ever to create solutions that lead to a better future for all,” said Barra. “GM remains focused on delivering on our vision of a world with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion, while becoming the most inclusive company in the world.”
Highlights from the 2019 Sustainability Report include:
- GM’s accelerated sustainability commitments to:
- Source 100 percent of electricity from renewable sources in the U.S. by 2030 and globally by 2040, a full decade earlier than previously announced.
- Continue recycling 100 percent of end-of-life EV batteries.
- Establish a sustainable material target of at least 50 percent by 2030 for all vehicles.
- Despite significant macro challenges, all of GM’s Ultium-powered EVs remain on track for production, including Cadillac LYRIQ, GMC HUMMER EV truck and Cruise Origin.
- For the first time, GM was named one of the 2020 World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere.
- GM has consistently and publicly advocated for climate action and awareness, as well as policies that put a value on carbon. The company’s global commitment to improving fuel economy, reducing emissions and driving an all-electric, zero-emissions future is unwavering, regardless of any modifications to existing emissions standards currently under review in the United States.
- Available advanced technology features such as Automatic Emergency Braking with Forward Collision Warning and Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning have shown a significant reduction in certain types of crashes in the field, according to a study* released last year.
- In 2020, GM announced an enhanced version of Super Cruise that will be introduced on the 2021 Cadillac CT5, CT4 and Escalade.
- GM brought expertise in automotive design, safety testing and proven quality methods refined over more than a century to Cruise, its majority-owned self-driving car subsidiary.
- In the first half of 2020, GM confronted COVID-19 by prioritizing the health and safety of employees and shutting down facilities around the world; manufacturing lifesaving ventilators and personal protective equipment; working within communities to share best practices for safely reopening businesses; and providing much-needed financial relief in the form of community grants.
- When George Floyd was killed, GM did not sit on the sidelines. The company established an Inclusion Advisory Board chaired by Mary Barra and designated $10 million to support organizations that promote inclusion and racial justice.
