Electric Vehicles: US Coy To Unveil 30 Models By 2025

Electric Vehicles: US Coy To Unveil 30 Models By 2025

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja

As part of its commitment towards achieving zero emissions, a United States-based automobile company, General Motors (GM) has disclosed plans to unevil 30 models of Electric Vehicles (EVs) by 2025.

Pix Caption: General Motors headquarters (Renaissance Center) on the Detroit River, Pan city of Detroit, Michigan, United States of America.

The vice president of Global Public Policy at GM, Mr Tom Cooney disclosed this yesterday in Detroit, Michigan while briefing journalists during the Virtual Reporting Tour (VRT), organised by Washington Foreign Press Centre (FPC), an arm of the U.S. Department of State in collaboration with Meridian International Center. 

GM, with four core automobile brands such as Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac commenced the designing, manufacturing and distribution of vehicles, and vehicle parts since September 16, 1908, about 113 years ago, with a renewed commitment to power 100 percent of its global operations with renewable energy by 2040.

Speaking on, "The Future of Electric Vehicles", he stated that to meet up with the target, the company would invest $27billion into the project, starting from 2020 to 2025, adding that $7 billion would be spent in 2021 alone. 

According to him, "Central to everything that we’re doing is battery technology. We want to develop the batteries and reduce the costs; we’re doing that together through a system called Ultium, which is a joint venture with LG Energy Solutions".

He said that on a single charge, the Ultium batteries would operate up to 450 miles and zero to 60 in three seconds in terms of acceleration, adding that GM recently signed an agreement with Dubai, United Arab Emirates to provide an electric robotaxi, to be built in Michigan.

Cooney stated that the US government is providing a $7,500 incentives for new buyers of electric vehicles in the country, adding that out of 50 States, some consumers have incentives, tax write-offs or rebates for the purchase of EVs, aimed at crippling climate change. 

He hinted that GM is investing huge amount of money in EV charging infrastructure in collaboration with various private sector partners, though the public sector support is essential. 

On his part, the Orion Assembly Plant Launch Manager of GM, Mr Jack Hund said that GM kick-started the production of the first-generation Bolt electric vehicles in the late 2016, and has built over 100,000 Bolt EVs.

Hund added, "The original Bolt was a significant investment for our company and was sold around $37, 000 based on the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) while the Bolts that we’re producing now that was shipped few days ago sold from $31,000 (MSRP)". 

In addition, Hund said that the Assembly Plant has a 350kW solar used in providing energy to the grid and other neighbouring homes, adding that the company is working aggressively to deploy such technologies globally.