GM says it will lead the electric revolution, but can we trust them?

GM CEO Mary Barra says the automaker is in position to lead the electric revolution.

But considering GM’s past (and present) anti-EV efforts, can we trust that is the direction they are heading and with appropriate speed?

For the past few years, GM has claimed to be “all-in” in electric vehicles.

In a new post on LinkedIn titled “General Motors has what it takes to put everyone in an EV,” CEO Mary Barra made the argument that GM is going to lead the EV revolution with its Ultium electric platform:

“Ultium, our highly flexible global EV platform is a game changer in driving down costs, increasing range and opening the design potential. It’s also a differentiating technology platform that is bringing other companies to our doorstep. EVs – and the technology we’re engineering to create them – are key to the growth trajectory at GM. I believe with all the assets we have, we will win. And we will create a more sustainable world for future generations.”

Obviously this comes on the back of Tesla’s Battery Day technology reveal as the “upstart” already outproduces GM’s EVs by an order of magnitude.

The CEO referenced its recently announced plans for electric vehicle factories, like “Factory Zero” and its Spring Hill, Tennessee assembly plant.

You can read Barra’s full post here.

Electrek’s Take

GM is currently doing a lot of things that I like in the electric vehicle space.

They have 12 different all-electric vehicle programs in the works, they have several new EV factories under development, and they have a partnership with LG Chem to build batteries.

But GM has a weird history with electric vehicles that makes it hard for me to trust them.

Of course, there’s the infamous crushing of the EV1 well documented in Chris Paine’s “Who Killed the Electric Car” documentary, but there are also other things that happened more recently.

My biggest complaint with GM is the siding with the Trump administration on fighting California setting its own emission standards, which was a clear anti-EV move — even though they somehow tried to sell it as a pro-EV one.

This rubbed me the wrong way, and I know it did the same for many people in EV community.

Partnering with Nikola, which has proven itself to be lying and deceiving to the public, also hasn’t helped.

But I can forgive.

VW screwed up bad with Dieselgate, and I think that getting caught gave them the kick in the butt they needed to take electrification seriously.

I can overlook GM’s past if they truly are taking EV seriously now like Barra is claiming, but they are going to have a lot more work to do tp gain my trust again.

What about you? What do you think? Let us know in the comment section below.