And China’s decision at the end of last year to require that most vehicles sold there are electric by 2035 is also critical because GM sells more cars in that country through its joint ventures than in the United States. And Britain, Ireland and the Netherlands have said they will ban sales of new gasoline and diesel cars from 2030.
GM has been talking about moving to zero-emission vehicles for about two years. Last March, it unveiled modular battery technology that is said to reduce costs. A few months later, GM said it could reach a point where electric vehicles cost no more than gasoline-powered vehicles more quickly than expected.
Ms. Barra was receiving support and suggestions from an unexpected source – the Environmental Defense Fund, which had criticized GM in the past. The chief executive shared a barbecue dinner with the group’s chairman, Fred Krupp, at a conference in 2015, and last fall, they were in regular contact by phone and email.
“We were both optimistic that we could reach common ground,” said Krupp.
In October, GM launched a Hummer electric pickup and, in one day, collected enough orders to service all the trucks that GM planned to manufacture in the truck’s first year.
“That was another turning point,” said Parker, the director of sustainability. “It showed that consumers are really excited about purchasing electric vehicles.”
Just a few weeks later, Biden became president-elect. And in December, GM met with its transition team, said Parker. “Our vision for a zero-emissions future aligns very well with their vision and objectives.”
At the same time, GM signed a commitment, known as Business Ambition for 1.5 Degrees, to combat global warming. In early January, the company cited 2035 as the likely date for the electrical transition, Parker said. On January 12, Ms. Barra appeared at the Consumer Electronics Show and detailed GM’s vision of a future with no exhaust emissions, but gave no specific date.