2009 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 Drw Lt on 2040-cars

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GM CEO Mary Barra predicts mass electrification will take decades

General Motors is allocating a substantial amount of money to the development of electric technology, but Mary Barra, the firm's CEO, conceded that battery-powered cars won't fully replace their gasoline-burning counterparts for several decades. She stressed the shift is ongoing, but she hinted it will be slower than many assume. "We believe the transition will happen over time," affirmed Barra on "Leadership Live with David Rubenstein," a talk show aired by Bloomberg Television. She added that not every car will be electric in 2040. "It will happen in a little bit longer period, but it will happen," she told the host. She was presumably talking about the United States market; the situation is markedly different in Europe and in China, where strict government regulations (and even stricter ones on the horizon) are accelerating the shift towards electric cars. On the surface, it doesn't look like General Motors has much invested in electrification; the only battery-powered model it sells in America in 2020 is the Chevrolet Bolt (pictured), which undeniably remains a niche vehicle. Sales totaled 16,418 units in 2019, meaning the Corvette beat it by about 1,500 sales. In comparison, Cadillac sold 35,424 examples of the aging last-generation Escalade during the same time period. And yet, the company isn't giving up. It has numerous electric models in the pipeline including a slightly larger version of the aforementioned Bolt, the much-hyped GMC Hummer pickup, and an electric crossover assigned to the Cadillac brand. These models (and others) will use the Ultium battery technology that General Motors is currently developing. Its engineers are also working on a modular platform capable of underpinning a wide variety of cars. Bringing these innovations to the market is a Herculean task. EVs may not take over for decades, but Barra and her team must believe their 2% market share will increase significantly in the coming years if they're approving these programs. Autonomous technology is even costlier, more complicated, and more time-consuming to develop. Barra nonetheless expects to see the first General Motors-built driverless vehicles on the road by 2025. "I definitely think it will happen within the next five years. Our Cruise team is continuing to develop technology so it's safer than a human driver. I think you'll see it clearly within five years," she said on the same talk show. Her statement is vague but realistic.

Ford also working on 200-mile EV to compete with Bolt, Model 3

The Chevrolet Bolt is on a lot of people's radars. You may have even noticed friends and colleagues who harbor very little interest in the automotive world, or anything labeled as "green," who have taken notice of a 200-mile electric vehicle coming out of Detroit. Mass appeal is the idea, after all. You can include Ford in the list of interested parties, in this case with the intention of taking direct aim at the Bolt – and, by proxy, the Tesla Model 3 – with an affordable, long-range EV of its own. Ford will unveil its own long-range EV, positioned to compete with Chevrolet, later this year, according to Automobile. Details are very scarce about Ford's plans, but we do know that the Bolt (or whatever the Chevy all-electric hatchback will end up being called) is expected to offer over 200 miles of driving between charges, with a sticker price around $30,000. The other major player, of course, is Tesla's smaller, more affordable sibling to the Model S. The Model 3, also slated to go on sale in 2017, should cost less than $40,000. While Tesla has established itself in the EV world, another long-range EV out of Detroit would win some customers from the California-based startup. For now, though, we'll just have to wait, as Ford remains tight-lipped about its plans for the car. Automobile predicts a possible unveiling at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November, what with California's EV mandate being a driver of strategy for various automakers. Most can agree, though, that a larger field of options – while not ideal for backers of the Bolt or Model 3 – will only benefit the car-buying public. Related Video: Featured Gallery Chevrolet Bolt EV Concept: Detroit 2015 Related Gallery Chevrolet Bolt EV Concept News Source: AutomobileImage Credit: Copyright 2015 Sebastian Blanco / AOL Green Rumormill Chevrolet Ford Tesla Electric Future Vehicles Chevy Bolt ford ev

Nissan Leaf keeps plug-in vehicle sales crown for 6th straight month

And Nissan makes it 14 in a row. For the 14th straight month, the all-electric Leaf has had "record sales," according to Nissan's marketing team. What that means is that for that particular month (in this case, April) no matter what year you look at, the car sold more than it ever did before. For April 2014, the 2,088 Leafs sold represents a 7.8-percent increase from 2013. Nissan's director of EV sales and marketing, Toby Perry, said in a statement that the "new market" of Cincinnati made the top 25 list for Leaf sales areas in April, so the car's popularity continues to ebb and flow across the US. Over at Chevy, the Volt sold 1,548 units in April, reaching a year-to-date total of 5,154. The Leaf is outpacing that with 7,272 YTD sales. In 2013, the Volt outsold the Leaf by about 500 vehicles, but Leaf sales are up 33 percent year-over-year while Volt is down 7.1 percent. The Leaf has also outsold the Volt for six straight months. But we're excited for every eco-car sale, and that's why we'll have our monthly detailed write-up of the rest of the plug-ins, hybrids and diesel vehicles available soon. Until then, discuss. Green Chevrolet Nissan Electric Hybrid PHEV ev sales