Currently, every major manufacturer plus some new startups are working on electric vehicles. It is time to stop worrying about oil as part of our international policies. I believe we should start by going after Saudi Arabia for human rights violations.
Even the stock market was happy with the move.
General Motors said Thursday that it will end the sale of all gasoline and diesel powered passenger cars and light sports utility vehicles by 2035, marking an historic turning point for the iconic American automobile company and promising a future full of new electric vehicles for American motorists.
GM chief executive Mary Barra, who antagonized many climate experts by embracing President Donald Trump’s relaxation of fuel efficiency targets, said the company would eliminate all tailpipe emissions from light duty vehicles by that date. "As one of the world’s largest automakers, we hope to set an example of responsible leadership in a world that is faced with climate change,” she said on LinkedIn.
The carmaker will spend $27 billion on electric vehicles and associated products between 2020 and 2025, outstripping investment on conventional gasoline and diesel cars, GM has said. That figure includes refurbishing factories and investing in battery production in conjunction with LG Chem, a South Korean battery maker.
As part of its plan, GM will manufacture about 30 types of electric vehicles, about 20 of which would be for sale in the United States.
The company’s stock was up nearly 4 percent in late afternoon trading.
The move toward ending tailpipe emissions won’t affect medium and heavy duty trucks, but it will include everything from cars and crossovers to full-size SUVs, such as the light-duty Silverado and Yukon, a company spokeswoman said.
Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund, which had worked with GM on its plan, called it a “breakthrough moment.”
“And it’s part of a wave of industry action that reinforces what the Biden Administration is doing,” Krupp said.