Tag Archives: GM

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Mary Barra Says GM Can Catch Tesla In EV Sales By 2025

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General Motors chief executive Mary Barra says the car manufacturer can catch Tesla in U.S. sales of electric vehicles by 2025.

GM intends on launching no less than 30 electric vehicles by 2025 and while recently speaking during CNBC’s Squawk Box, Barra expressed confidence in her belief that the company will establish itself as the EV leader.

Read Also: GM To Install Up To 40,000 New Chargers In The U.S. And Canada

“I am very comfortable, because when people get into these vehicles, they are just wowed,” she said. “So we will be rolling them out and we’re going to just keep working until we have No. 1 market share in EVs.”

Tesla currently dominates the electric vehicle space in the United States. In fact, the automaker accounted for 79 percent of all EVs sold in the U.S. throughout 2020. However, research and forecasting company HIS Markit says Tesla’s U.S. share of EV sales will drop to 56 percent throughout 2021 and fall to approximately 20 percent in 2025.

Speaking with CNBC, LMC Automotive added that sales of EVs, including plug-in hybrids, will account for less than 4 percent of vehicle sales across the country this year. The research firm suggests that EVs will make up 34.2 percent of new U.S. vehicle sales by 2030, with 4.1 percent of those sales being for plug-in hybrids.

A key pillar in GM’s EV expansion goals is their plans to install up to 40,000 Level 2 EV chargers across the United States and Canada as part of a $750 million investment.

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Wuling Victory Midsize MPV Launches In China With Sub-$13k Base Price

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Wuling has officially launched the new Victory multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) in China.

The three-row, six-passenger family vehicle is the first to feature the brand’s new global silver badge and could go on sale in export markets following the launch in its home market. The Wuling Victory is available in four variants in China, priced between RMB 85,800 ($12,810) and RMB 116,800 ($17,440).

All share the same engine, a 150 PS (148 HP) 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder petrol unit matched to either a six-speed manual or a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

See Also: GM’s Wuling Hong Guang X Concept Makes A Splash At Chengdu Motor Show

The Wuling Victory is a midsize MPV and not a full-size one like the Buick GL8 or VW Viloran. Therefore, it’s significantly smaller than the aforementioned models, measuring 4,875 mm (191.9 in) in length – about 350 mm (13.8 in) less than the GL8 and almost 500 mm (19.7 in) less than the Viloran.

The Victory is also slightly narrower at 1,880 mm (74 in), as well as lower at 1,700 mm (66.9 in). The wheelbase measures 2,800 mm (110.2 in), enabling the Victory to offer a roomy cabin with six seats as standard. The two seats in the third row can be folded flat to expand the cargo area to over 1,500 liters (53 cu ft).

A more luxurious four-seat variant with two reclining and sliding captain’s chairs on the second row is also available. These chairs also have independent leg rests and can slide 560 mm (22 in) to provide extra room.

Available equipment on the Chinese MPV includes soft leather and fabric upholstery, ergonomic seats on the first and second rows, as well as extensive use of soundproofing materials and 4-mm (0.15-in) double-layer soundproof glass for a quiet interior.

The Victory also offers a PM2.5 air filter and negative ion generator which are said to block dust, viruses and bacteria “to create a healthy interior environment with an N95 level of protection”. Safety tech includes Bosch’s 9.3 Electronic Stability Program (ESP), advanced driver assistance system (ADAS), six front and side curtain air bags and four exterior cameras.

Wuling has plans for a global expansion and, to that end, is developing a lineup of all-new models, with the Victory being one of them. Reports from China claim Europe will be the first export market to get the MPV from 2022.

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Cruise And GM Seek U.S. Approval To Deploy Autonomous Origin Passenger Pods

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Self-driving carmaker Cruise, together with its majority shareholder GM, are seeking U.S. regulatory approval in order to unleash a limited number of Cruise Origin vehicles onto the streets.

The Cruise Origin, unveiled in January, is more of a passenger pod, since it doesn’t have a steering wheel or pedals. It boasts two bench seats that face each other and is therefore able to accommodate four passengers.

GM plans to start building the Origin in Detroit in late 2021 or early 2022.

Meanwhile, Cruise is also withdrawing an exemption petition filed with the NHTSA in January of 2018, which seeked approval for a limited number of autonomous models based on the Chevrolet Bolt platform. The NHTSA said that it will “review the new petition when it is received,” reports Reuters.

Related: The Cruise Origin Is The Electric, Autonomous, Shareable Car Of The Future

Cruise has already received a permit from the California DMV last week, becoming the first company allowed to test cars without safety drivers in San Francisco. Currently, carmakers can only seek two-year exemptions for up to 2,500 vehicles that don’t meet existing federal rules.

Of course, these exemptions were written decades ago, by people who always assumed that human drivers would remain in full control of a vehicle. Recently though, the NHTSA has been considering revising certain automotive safety regulations in order to remove “unnecessary regulatory barriers to the safe introduction of automated driving systems.”

Cruise expects the Origin to have a lifespan of over 1,000,000 miles (1,609,344 km), which is six times longer than the average vehicle. The Origin will only be available as a ride-sharing tool, capable of saving people money in the long run.

In fact, the company says that the “average San Franciscan household driving themselves or using ride-sharing, will, on average, see up to $5,000 back in their pocket every year,” by using the Origin.

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