General Motors to quit diesel and petrol cars by 2035
One of the world’s biggest car manufacturers has announced that it will cease production of all petrol and diesel vehicles by 2035.
Overnight General Motors (GM) said that it was committed to ending “tailpipe emissions” from all new cars, SUVs and light pickup trucks in the next 14 years.
The announcement came as part of a packet of climate resolutions from the Detroit-based firm, which committed to becoming a net-zero firm by 2040.
Industry analysts said that the move was a potential “game-changer” for the US car market.
Last year GM sold 2.5m cars in the US, but only 20,000 of these were electric vehicles (EVs).
But having announced $27bn in investment in the EV space in November, the century-old firm must now flip its business on its head in the space of a decade.
GM, best known for gas-guzzling brands such as Chevrolet and Buick, will roll out 30 electric models by 2025.
Writing on LinkedIn, chief executive Mary Barra said: “It is understood that we will need to reduce the net impact of carbon emissions from all human activities to zero by 2050.
“As one of the world’s largest automakers, General Motors seeks to lead our industry and our world toward those goals.”
At this stage, the goal is described as an “aspiration”, and does not include medium and heavy trucks.
But chief sustainability office Dane Parker was confident the firm could hit the target: “Setting a goal for us 15 years from now is absolutely reachable.”