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GM Wants to Produce a Lot of (electric) Cars — and Less of Everything Else
Barron's ^ | February 6, 2020 | Al Root

Posted on 02/07/2020 6:23:52 AM PST by karpov

General Motors, the auto maker that sells millions of cars and trucks each year, has a new production target: zero.

CEO Mary Barra hasn’t lost her mind. Instead, GM’s goal is a future with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion, the company said at an investor event following the release of its fourth-quarter earnings. It’s a bold vision to say the least.

Zero Emissions

No greenhouse gases coming from a tail pipe, of course, is all about vehicle electrification. GM, it seems, is leaving the traditional motor behind.

“We believe climate change is real, it’s a global concern and the best way to remove automotive ambitions from the environmental equation is an all-electric zero emissions future,” said Barra at the investor event. “The National Zero Emissions Vehicle Program that we have proposed across all 50 states will help accelerate the transition to EVs.....it would also position the United States as a leader in electrification.”

The GM plan calls for credits for zero-emission vehicles and incentives for battery development, among other things.

GM isn’t waiting for federal regulation, though. The company said in January that its Detroit-Hamtramck plant would be its first devoted to just making electric vehicles.

...

Zero Crashes

No accidents is all about active safety. That’s industry jargon for what the rest of America thinks of as self-driving cars.

The company’s Cruise division is the core of its autonomous driving. And on Wednesday, GM touted its growing engineering and software expertise when talking about gains its technology is making.

“The Cruise portion of the day was extremely compelling,” Levin Easterly Partners portfolio manager Christopher Susanin told Barron’s. “GM’s rate of improvement on their internal safety metrics have been [huge].”

GM says self-driving safety features can eventually save millions of lives.

(Excerpt) Read more at barrons.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; US: Michigan
KEYWORDS: automakers; cars; ev; generalmotors; gm; manufacturing; marybarra; michigan
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To: moovova
Playboy had articles? Are you sure?
61 posted on 02/07/2020 7:35:01 AM PST by Mr. Lucky
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To: JPJones

“We believe climate change is real,”
Your customers don’t.”

The climate is warming. Ask any farmer who has been planting for 30 years.

We took a third hay cutting this past year in October on our farm. 2 years ago same thing and the year before that. We are taking our first cutting 6-7 weeks earlier than normal.

My 95 year old farmer uncle said that never happened in his lifetime.


62 posted on 02/07/2020 7:40:02 AM PST by setter
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To: karpov

Fascists... Government Motors.


63 posted on 02/07/2020 7:41:14 AM PST by SaraJohnson ( Whites must sue for racism. It's pay day.)
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To: karpov

I’ve got nothing against electric cars.

As long as you guys drive em, not me


64 posted on 02/07/2020 7:46:27 AM PST by Gasshog (Democrats have done the impossible! They united the GOP behind President Trump.)
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To: Jeff Chandler

The only way I would make that drive with a Tesla is if I was moving.


65 posted on 02/07/2020 7:48:40 AM PST by EVO X
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To: setter

Yield increase is due more to improved plant genetics than global warming, but, even if your uncle’s observation is correct, are improved crop yields one of the symptoms of global warming that electric cars will eliminate?


66 posted on 02/07/2020 7:49:10 AM PST by Mr. Lucky
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To: moovova
Rush wrote a song about that.

Rush - Red Barchetta

67 posted on 02/07/2020 7:56:10 AM PST by CtBigPat (Qanon - Please be real...)
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To: RckyRaCoCo

I want my own Rocket Pack

This is not the Future we were promised


68 posted on 02/07/2020 7:59:52 AM PST by Gasshog (Democrats have done the impossible! They united the GOP behind President Trump.)
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To: buffyt

A pal I knew in Tulsa had a red convertible (air cooled) Porsche.
Beautiful car.

He traded it on an Audi.


69 posted on 02/07/2020 8:27:32 AM PST by Eric in the Ozarks (Baseball players, gangsters and musicians are remembered. But journalists are forgotten.)
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To: karpov

Refuse to own a Government Motors product, certainly not interested in their take on oversized golf karts.


70 posted on 02/07/2020 8:28:03 AM PST by doorgunner69 (Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading - T Jefferson)
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To: karpov

Mary Barra has been CEO since 2014. She will pursue her quest for political correctness, at the cost of taking down GM.


71 posted on 02/07/2020 8:31:23 AM PST by PapaBear3625 ("Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities." -- Voltaire)
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To: dangus
Charge it to full, drive it five hours, grab lunch. Within 20 minutes, it’ll be 70% charged again, good for another four hours at highway speed. Time for dinner.

That presumes you will always find a charger before you run out of juice. And if you're in California in a power outage? A gas station can have a small generator to keep the pumps running, but it won't charge your car.

72 posted on 02/07/2020 8:36:53 AM PST by PapaBear3625 ("Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities." -- Voltaire)
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To: Eric in the Ozarks

Traded a late model aircooled Porsche for an AUDI??

Gack, fool did not deserve the car....


73 posted on 02/07/2020 8:37:01 AM PST by doorgunner69 (Peace is that brief glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading - T Jefferson)
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To: kickstart

In about 3 years that should be par for the course range for EV’s.

I’ve driven one for 5 years. Love them!
Have a co-worker who has over 100k miles on his and he’s only paid for new tires and flushed out the brake fluid once on it.

The maintenance is nothing on them.


74 posted on 02/07/2020 8:42:10 AM PST by Roman_War_Criminal (Like Enoch, Noah, & Lot, the True Church will soon be removed & then destruction comes forth.)
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To: PeterPrinciple
I'm waiting...


75 posted on 02/07/2020 8:44:05 AM PST by skimbell
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To: Colo9250
Me too but only if that includes a full ten year 100,000 mile warranty on the battery and drive train.

Ten year 100,000 miles is not nearly enough. 10 years 300,000 miles is needed. Everyone around here drives well m more than 10,000 miles a year (rural America)

76 posted on 02/07/2020 8:52:48 AM PST by John O (God Save America (Please))
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To: Eric in the Ozarks

Good catch! There are probably others as well.


77 posted on 02/07/2020 8:53:55 AM PST by DBrow
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To: setter

“We took a third hay cutting this past year in October on our farm. 2 years ago same thing and the year before that. We are taking our first cutting 6-7 weeks earlier than normal.

My 95 year old farmer uncle said that never happened in his lifetime.”

So global warming is a good thing.

BTW more Co2 in the atmosphere helps hay grow faster an stronger.


78 posted on 02/07/2020 8:55:45 AM PST by JPJones (More Tariffs, less income tax.)
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To: Dartoid
The low price for a Tesla is more like 35k with a range of 220 miles.

No, a stripped Model 3 costs $39,990 according to the Tesla website.

79 posted on 02/07/2020 9:04:31 AM PST by Fresh Wind (The Electoral College is the firewall protecting us from massive blue state vote fraud.)
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To: JPJones

“So global warming is a good thing.”

Depends where you live. I live in a Northern state. The people down South are screwed-They can’t make enough hay due to dry conditions.
They are having to come North with semi trucks to buy hay to feed their livestock.


80 posted on 02/07/2020 9:25:28 AM PST by setter
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