The Financial Times believes that GM has a plan: to beat Tesla as the leader for electric vehicles in the US. In fact, Mary Barra said herself that GM is “committed to fighting for EV market share until we are number one in North America.” The idea is to invest $27 billion, present 30 EVs, and sell 1 million electric cars globally by 2025. Although she said that in September 2019, the Financial Times decided to check how only now.
According to the article, GM’s plan is to drop battery pack prices through a high production scale and offer so many electric car options that buyers will eventually choose one. We are not sure how the goal to sell 1 million cars globally will make GM an EV leader in the US. Regardless, Volkswagen came up with the same idea a lot earlier.
The immediate effect is that Volkswagen expects to produce (and sell) 1 million electric cars globally by 2022 – three years earlier than GM. While the American company is still speaking about its future electric vehicles with its Ultium batteries, Volkswagen already sells two cars with its MEB platform: the ID.3 and the ID.4. The latter will also be sold and manufactured in the US.
More GM News On Electric Cars:
One aspect the analysts interviewed by Financial Times point out as a competitive advantage is that Tesla presents with its cars. We have confirmed that more than once, but GM cannot say it is much better when it comes to electric cars. The Bolt EV recently had a battery pack recall, and we have also shown it has a chronic defect on its torsion beam.
All things considered, what can GM offer that Volkswagen isn't already trying and that Tesla may not try to assimilate? The Financial Times article does not clarify that. It just says GM plans to outsell Tesla and to become the main EV seller in the US market. Who doesn’t, right?
Source: Financial Times via Financial Post