Common Motors CEO Mary Barra on Thursday took on subjects ranging from Tesla CEO Elon Musk to the potential for a brand new manufacturing facility in Michigan.
Barra addressed a bunch of media Thursday, on the eve of her eight-year anniversary as GM’s CEO, as half an Automotive Press Affiliation occasion on the Gem Theater in Detroit.
Prime of thoughts was a query on her opinion of Musk’s feedback earlier this week suggesting that President Joe Biden’s spending invoice be “deleted.” The invoice, which incorporates as much as a $12,500 tax credit score for EVs and subsidies for EV charging stations, favors union automakers, slightly than Tesla.

“I’m not going to get right into a match on that kind of stuff as a result of I truly imply what I say and say what I imply,” Barra mentioned. “After I say one thing, I actually imply it and I’m an engineer, so I’m going to execute it.”
Barra, who has mentioned GM would be the EV chief sooner or later, mentioned Biden’s invoice helps GM attain a broad group of customers.
GM has promised to carry 30 new EVs to market by 2025, together with a $30,000-priced Equinox-like electrical SUV it is going to reveal subsequent yr.
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“It’s one factor when you’re promoting luxurious autos to a slice of the general public. It’s one other factor while you’re offering EVs to somebody who buys a $30,000 Equinox as a result of that’s probably the most that they will afford,” Barra mentioned. “It’s their solely automobile. In the event that they don’t get to work, it impacts their livelihood. Do these people want that help to make the transition? I believe it is cheap, when you’re making an attempt to speed up one thing.”
The large distinction
GM’s first EV on the automaker’s proprietary Ultium battery platform is the 2022 GMC Hummer EV pickup being constructed at Manufacturing facility ZERO in Detroit and Hamtramck.
Barra mentioned GM is “days away from getting the Hummer into the primary buyer’s arms.”
Beginning subsequent yr, GM will unveil extra new EVs it has deliberate to launch over the following few years. She mentioned GM has moved up manufacturing on a few of them and is shifting as quick as it could with out sacrificing high quality.

Customers will see the dimensions of GM’s transition when it begins revealing extra EVs past the Hummer EV, Hummer SUV and 2023 Cadillac Lyriq SUV.
“It’s one factor to say 30 autos globally by 2025, however while you begin to say, ‘It’s this and this and this and this and it’s this yr and subsequent yr’ … that’s going to alter the sport,” Barra mentioned. “Once you see the timing of the Silverado E for when it is going to be obtainable and what that automobile gives it’s unmatched and that’ll make a giant distinction.”
GM will unveil the Silverado E all-electric pickup in January on the Client Electronics Present in Las Vegas. It should even be constructed at Manufacturing facility ZERO.
A plant for Michigan?
In its EV transition, GM is constructing new factories and Michigan hopes to get one.
On Thursday, GM introduced two new partnerships with producers of uncooked supplies that can end in every constructing a brand new provider manufacturing facility in the US — one in Fort Value, Texas, and the opposite location but to be introduced.
Final week, GM mentioned it shaped a partnership with South Korea-based chemical maker POSCO Chemical. The 2 will construct a brand new provider manufacturing facility in North America by 2024, location unannounced.
GM is constructing two Ultium LLC battery vegetation, one in Ohio and one in Tennessee. It has but to announce the place it is going to construct two extra Ultium battery vegetation.

Michigan leaders are working to offer incentives to entice GM to construct at the least one of many vegetation right here.
When requested whether or not GM would accomplish that, Barra mentioned. “Keep tuned. There’s plenty of conversations happening proper now and within the not-to-distant future we’ll be capable of reply that query. I have to be truthful to all events concerned.”
When requested how lengthy is the “not-to-distant future,” Barra mentioned, “Depend weeks not months.”
‘Simply hold doing it’
Barra mentioned she is assured that GM could be a chief within the EV house as a result of GM is forward of most of its rivals.
“All the things everyone seems to be saying they’re doing now, we began doing three years in the past,” Barra mentioned. “We’re not speaking about doing an devoted EV platform, we have now one and we have now one that may go from an excellent truck just like the Hummer to the Lyriq and what you’ll see us announce at CES.”
The Ultium platform provides GM scale and pace for its future EV improvement, she mentioned.
“We noticed this early and we invested in it,” Barra mentioned. “What distinguishes us … for an OEM of scale, we’re first, full cease.”

So why is GM being undervalued in contrast with startup EV maker Rivian, which has a $95 billion market cap, and Tesla, valued at greater than $1 trillion?
“Generally the long-lasting conventional firm, although they’re innovating shortly, simply will get checked out with a distinct lens and that’s OK, we’ll show it,” Barra mentioned of GM’s $87.5 billion worth.
Barra admitted that GM wants to do a greater job telling why it is going to lead the transition to EVs. Then ship new EVs that customers wish to purchase.
“Once you’re an organization that’s been round for awhile, there’s a distinct scale you’re measured on by way of do it versus say you’re going to do it. So we’ll simply hold doing it.”
Contact Jamie L. LaReau: 313-222-2149 or jlareau@freepress.com. Comply with her on Twitter @jlareauan. Learn extra on General Motors and join our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.