GM to Double Electric and Autonomous Programs over Two years
In its 2018 Sustainability Report, General Motors outlines its mobility, electric vehicle, and autonomous roadmap. GM’ Mary Barra: “We believe in an all-electric future.”

GM will allocate resources to develop and transition to autonomous, connected, and shared models of mobility.
Photo via Public Domain Files.
General Motors released this week its 2018 Sustainability Report titled, “Navigating the Road to Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions and Zero Congestion.”
The report, delivered by Mary Barra, GM’s chairman and CEO, delves into the automaker’s initiatives regarding developing and transitioning to autonomous, connected, and shared models of mobility.
“Climate change is real, and we take the challenges it presents seriously,” Barra says in the report. “We also recognize the transportation sector needs to be part of the solution, which is why we believe in an all-electric future.”
In the report, GM noted it plans on doubling resources allocated to electric and autonomous vehicle programs over the next two years.
The automaker also highlighted the development of an electric pickup, a $300 million investment in its Orion Township, Mich. assembly plant for a new Chevrolet all-electric vehicle, and that Cadillac will be GM’s lead EV brand when it launches its next-generation battery-electric vehicle architecture.
“This global architecture will be flexible and versatile, allowing us to build everything in our portfolio from just three drive units,” the report states. “This flexibility will allow us to deliver profitable EVs that also meet our customers’ needs for affordability and range.”
To support the growth of its EV portfolio the company has decided to invest $28 million in a battery lab at the Global Technical Center in Warren, Michigan.
The company announced that it will be working with Bechtel to build public EV fast-charging infrastructure in the U.S. This comes after GM announced its intent to work with EVgo, ChargePoint, and GreenLots to give customers access to more than 31,000 charging ports.
The report highlights the automaker’s development of autonomous vehicles (AVs) through its Cruise AV subsidiary and the high-profile partnerships to develop AVs, with investments from the SoftBank Vision Fund ($2.25 billion), Honda ($2.75 billion), and funds advised by T. Rowe Price and existing Cruise partners ($1.15 billion).
“These investments and strategic partnerships validate our approach to AV development, and importantly, give us the resources to tackle what we believe is the greatest engineering challenge of our generation,” the report states.
Originally posted on Automotive Fleet
More Electric Vehicles

GreenPower Plans 50 Electric Shuttle Buses for Mexico
GreenPower plans to build 50 electric shuttle buses for Mexico using its EV Star Cab & Chassis platform, partnering with local body builders to expand its market reach.
Read More →
Who You Gonna Call? Rivian Turns Electric Vehicles Into Ghostbusters Rides
Rivian teams up with Sony Pictures for a Ghostbusters-inspired Halloween software update, complete with custom sounds, lighting effects, and a special Ecto-R1.
Read More →
Einride Electric Driverless Trucks Begin Daily Freight Operations in Ohio
Two cabless electric trucks are now moving freight between EASE Logistics facilities, putting autonomous EV technology into daily commercial operations.
Read More →
FedEx Orders 2,000 Harbinger Electric Trucks in $300 Million Deal
The Class 5 and 6 electric trucks are planned for delivery by the end of 2027 and will be deployed in FedEx pickup and delivery operations across the U.S. and Canada.
Read More →
Volvo Trucks’ Electric Range Named International Truck of the Year 2027
The award recognizes Volvo’s global heavy-duty electric lineup, while more than 750 VNR Electric trucks have accumulated nearly 37 million miles in U.S. and Canadian fleet operations.
Read More →
How Republic Services Decides Where Its Next Electric Trucks Can Go
With 250 electric collection trucks now in service, Republic Services is learning that scaling electrification depends less on proving the vehicle and more on whether each site can support what comes next.
Read More →
EV Charging Use Is Outpacing Infrastructure Growth
ChargePoint’s 2026 Charging Forward Report points to rising charger use, higher-powered charging, commercial vehicle electrification, and energy-management technology. Here’s what fleets should know.
Read More →
EV Realty Names Henrik Holland President as Charging Platform Expands
The former Prologis Mobility and Shell executive will help expand EV Realty’s truck charging business and move its power-first infrastructure model into autonomous vehicle depots and other fleet sectors.
Read More →
GreenPower Expands New Mexico EV Pilot With Larger Buses, V2G Testing
After logging more than 17,000 electric miles in the first year, New Mexico’s statewide pilot is moving into its second phase with larger vehicles, continued charging evaluations, and more.
Read More →
Can EV-as-a-Service Help Fleets Scale Electrification?
Sustainability Partners CEO Adam Cain explains how matching EVs, charging infrastructure, and duty cycles can help fleets scale electrification.
Read More →