GM - Terje's cars

the-next-big-thing — 2020 Chevrolet Silverado Pickup - Not Electric. Photo: Wirestock/Depositphotos.com

Will GM be able to maintain its zero-emission goals when sales numbers decline and the country's incoming president mocks electric cars? And why hasn't Toyota entered the electric car market with greater weight?

Da Mary T. Barra recently presented GM's annual report, it emerged that sales of electric cars have declined and that GM has chosen to increase its investment in hybrid cars. The GM boss stressed that the company's goal of zero emissions still stands. Nevertheless, the press has subsequently asked whether GM is in the process of reconsidering its investment in electric cars, due to lower demand. In social media, GM is accused of listening more to the politicians than to its own customers, although American politicians are unlikely to fuss about electric cars. Everything indicates that the next president of the United States will be Donald Trump - a self-proclaimed opponent of electric cars.

We're taking action in the fight against climate change by planning to make our global products and operations carbon neutral by 2040 and eliminating tailpipe emissions from our new US light duty vehicles by 2035. (GM's climate goal)

GM's new electric car platform vice got off to an inauspicious start last year with delays followed by nationwide strikes. Barra said that sales of electric vehicles have slowed. Even if other electric car manufacturers experience the same, GM must see itself overtaken by foreign electric car manufacturers for the last quarter of 2023. The company's results for 2023 were nevertheless good - far better than expectations - thanks to the sale of the large pickups with thermal engines (source: NBC).

Several American websites predict that GM will reduce its production of electric cars in favor of gasoline and hybrid cars.

GM is not just anyone in the American auto industry. It is about capital, jobs, politics, social responsibility, profit and risk. No one knows how the technology will develop. Responsible car manufacturers should have more legs to stand on. Ruling out electric cars can be as big a risk as going "all in". Toyota's chairman, Aiko Toyoda, has stated that he believes electric cars are unlikely to exceed 30% of the global car fleet. Toyota has invested heavily in developing alternative powertrains, primarily hybrid technology. They are also one of the few car manufacturers that can deliver hydrogen cars. The company is Japan's leading car manufacturer - a "locomotive" - with partnership and ownership interests in Subaru, Mazda and Daihatsu, among others. Nor have any of these car manufacturers distinguished themselves to any significant extent as electric car manufacturers.

The fact that two of the world's largest car groups have not thrown themselves wholeheartedly into the electric car race could have major consequences if developments in battery technology were to make major progress. If "the next big thing" provides major improvements in range and charging times, we can see a "game changer" in the car industry, where car manufacturers such as GM and Toyota do not have time to adapt - so that new players from China hijack the customers. Nobody knows what is going to be "the next big thing", It may as well be based on fuel cells as battery technology.

Without political facilitation and financial support for consumers, electric cars would only be an offer for the wealthiest in society. We take it for granted that the politicians steer the development towards zero emissions, but it doesn't have to be that way. The likely future president of the United States, Donald Trump, has expressed that he hates electric cars. Whatever he may think, in the short term GM stands to gain more from increasing production of large pickup trucks with thermal engines than from developing zero-emission vehicles. That would be unwise in the long run. Nevertheless, Trump can reap political gains from harping on electric cars. By claiming that real Americans don't want electric cars, or anything like that, he can influence his own supporters - about half the US. It can also influence reactionary political leaders in other countries to give the thumbs down to measures that reduce emissions and financial support for the purchase and use of electric cars.

Donald Trump on his way to the courtroom in 2023. Photo: Thenews2/Depositphotos.com

Aiko Toyoda probably knows the global car market better than most. If Toyota's management had agreed to it, they could have built the world's best electric cars that most people could afford to buy. One of Toyoda's arguments is that 1 billion people on the planet live without fixed power. That is one of the reasons why the share of electric cars in the world is unlikely to exceed 30%. There are several obstacles that need to be overcome.

Here are some of them:

Charging in the million cities
In Naples in 2018, there were as many as 2,35 million cars – most parked on the street. How should these cars be charged? If each car is to be charged once a week, 330 cars will need charging every day. Where should they stand? In another European million-dollar city, Barcelona, 000% of the city's area was filled up by cars in 60 (Catalan News). In cities of millions, such as these, the amount of traffic is already at breaking point. Where should the cars drive to charge?

Prices
Electric cars are more expensive than equivalent cars with thermal engines. In rich countries, the authorities can facilitate financial support schemes. Poor countries can hardly do that. If electric cars are to replace the car fleet globally, they should not cost more to produce than thermal cars.

Small cars
Currently, there are few electric cars in the small car segment with acceptable battery capacity. Partly because the batteries are too heavy for small cars and partly because the prices will make them too expensive. We need a better offer of electric cars in the A and B classes.

Dependence on China
China belongs to what we in the West call the "axis of evil" - which supports authoritarian and cynical regimes. China supplies batteries to many European car manufacturers. In an overview from Finnish Cleanfi Oy, 2021, for example, all electric cars from Daimler AG were equipped with batteries from China. Models from BMW, Citroen, Opel and Peugeot also had their batteries delivered from China. Europe should be able to produce batteries itself with its own raw materials.

Ethical values
Many claim that the production of batteries for electric cars leads to exploitation of minerals, that the work is harmful to the environment and that workers are exploited - including child labour. Raw materials, such as cobalt, are mined in developing countries. We need batteries that are built on raw materials where the entire value chain can be followed.

preparedness
Military vehicles require diesel or "multifuel". In the event of mobilization, the state can seize civilian vehicles. The fact that there are civilian vehicles that run on diesel is an important part of our preparedness. Imagine being called to war as a truck driver to be handed an electric truck 🙂

Analogy to Norwegian DAB investment

I hope that electric cars do not fall into the same category as the Norwegian DAB initiative. Former head of broadcasting Thor Gjermund Eriksen convinced the politicians that DAB was the future solution for radio broadcasting. Norway became the first and last country in the world to go "all in" for DAB. Norwegian households were encouraged to buy expensive Pinelli DAB radios, which turned out to be highly flammable. A short time later, "the next big thing" came in the form of 4G. By then, DAB was technically passé.

See

Forbes: GM does a U-Turn
My American Dream

It's no secret that GM is preparing to return to Europe. Already in the autumn, some really exciting Americans may appear in central Oslo.

Ready for autumn?

Earlier this year, GM's European president confirmed, Jaclyn McQuaid, to Automotive News Europe that GM will present its electric models in Europe. We do not know exactly when GM will come to Oslo, but they have signed a contract for premises in Nedre Slottsgate and are currently looking for a service engineer for Sweden and Norway. They will probably be in place with their electric model program for 2024 as early as this autumn.

GM's new models are Cadillac Lyrics, chevrolet blazer ev, Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray, Chevrolet Equinox EV og Chevrolet Silverado EV. We will probably also see new ones GMC Hummer EV SUV. A brand new one is due next year Chevrolet Bolt put into production. For several years, the Bolt has been GM's only electric car.

What can GM offer?

Electric cars sell primarily on price, space and range - and this is precisely where GM's new models will assert themselves. The secret is called vice which is a new electric car drivetrain GM has developed in collaboration with LG Chem. The advantages of the new drive system are lower production costs, more energy per volume and lower weight. The new battery management system can eliminate up to 90% of cables and connectors other models need. Not only does it provide lower weight, but also a better ability to accept fast charging.

The experiences with Bolt

Here at home, the Chevrolet Bolt and its sister model, the Opel Ampera-e, are often portrayed as failed cars. When the Bolt was launched in 2016, it offered unprecedented range for its price. That was what made most people put themselves on waiting lists. Unfortunately, GM and the battery supplier LG Chem grossly missed the production capacity. Huge waiting lists arose - and while people waited, GM was overtaken by other car manufacturers. When they were finally able to deliver cars, the buyers were blown away. It got then GM dealer, Bergheim Auto feel. They had bought a large batch of Chevrolet Bolts which they had to sell at a loss. When GM later sold Opel to PSA, GM's electric car disappeared from the model range.

Although GM stumbled after its launch, the cars were well-engineered and technologically superior to the competition. It is possible that GM may face a similar situation today. It has been opened for orders for certain models even before production has started, but in the last few days it has been reported that the start of production has been delayed by 6 months due to a supplier struggling to deliver equipment to automate the production of the batteries . All the new models are affected, but executive vice president Mary Barra has said that GM will still be able to produce 100 new EV models during the second half of 000.

Cadillac Lyrics

During the first half of the year, only a few cars were produced with GM's new drivetrain – the Cadillac Lyriq and the GMC Hummer EV SUV. These are considered pre-production cars for exhibitions, tests and marketing. The Cadillac Lyriq will probably be the first model to arrive in Oslo. It can to be followed by the all-new Escalade IQ due to enter production in late 2024 as a 2025 model. The Escalade IQ is a colossus of 5,7 meters with a range of up to 720 km that can hardly find a place in Norwegian car parks. The Cadillac Lyriq, on the other hand, has just the right amount of space with its 5 metres. The Lyriq is offered in three equipment variants, Technology, Luxury og Sports - all can be selected with RWD or AWD and are powered by a 102 kwh battery. Range is 505 km for 2-wheel drive cars and 494 for 4-wheel drive. In the US, prices start at just under $60.000, to $80.000 with equipment packages. Then the prices in Norway can start in excess of NOK 600 before taxes and equipment packages.

Chevrolet Equinox EV

This year's most interesting model for most people will probably be the Chevrolet Equinox EV. The electric car version looks better than the other Equinox cars. The external dimensions are almost identical to the Volkswagen ID.4 and Ford's new European Explorer. In the US, the Equinox EV can be ordered already, although production has not yet started. Prices are expected to start from $30.000 for the base model 1LT with 201 hp, front-wheel drive and a range of 400 km. Most people will probably choose the Equinox 2LT with 290 hp, larger battery pack and wider infotainment screen. The range is estimated at 480 km for cars with front-wheel drive and 448 for four-wheel drive. The top model 2RS gets the same powertrains as the 2LT. There are many indications that the prices of the Equinox EV can start well below the tax limit of NOK 500.

chevrolet blazer ev

The new Blazer EV ends up in the same size class as the Equinox, but carries a tougher design language, which is reinforced in more daring colours. The Blazer 2LT is currently priced at $56.715, the RS edition at $60.215. The range-topping SS is yet to be priced, but most images and specs appear to belong to the SS – with acceleration from 0-60mph in 4 seconds and a range of 512km. The Blazer EV comes with a type of 4-wheel drive system where you can also choose to drive with rear-wheel drive or front-wheel drive - whatever it would be good for.

Building charging networks

The three best-selling car models in the US in the second quarter of this year are pickups - Ford F-series, Chevrolet Silverado and Dodge RAM. But already in 2th place we find the Tesla Model Y, and in 4th place the Tesla Model 12. After Tesla, we have to go far down the list to find more electric cars. The Chevrolet Bolt is in 3th place, while the Ford Mustang Mach-E is number 112. In Q115, 2 times more Model Ys were sold than the Ford Mustang Mach-E. The two models are actually equivalent in terms of size, range, power, quality and handling. Could Tesla's advantage be the good charging network? There are still areas in the US without good public electric car chargers. Tesla chargers, on the other hand, can be found along all major thoroughfares.
Executive director Mary Barra's production target is 400 cars on GM's Ultium powertrain. It's daring. In the first half of 000, Tesla sold 2023 cars in the US, while the other electric cars only got crumbs on the domestic market. There is no reason to doubt that GM's new EV models can deliver competitive technology, but GM car owners need to trust that there is a charging network along the road. Fortunately, GM has taken action on this problem, and is now joining forces with 343 other car manufacturers to build a seamless charging network in the US and Canada in the same way as Tesla. The first charging stations will arrive next summer.