DETROIT — General Motors' goal to have a fully zero-emission lineup by 2035 is unquestionably ambitious, considering it sells just one electric vehicle in the U.S. today. But a top executive with the automaker says that's a target, not a promise, and GM won't give up on gasoline-powered vehicles so soon if consumers still want them.
"We intend to win wherever we're competing and irrespective of propulsion system," GM North America chief Steve Carlisle said in an interview. "At the same time, we're setting ourselves up for this pivot, which is inevitable."
GM believes EVs are the future, Carlisle said, but it won't let the business suffer if market demand for them veers from the automaker's timeline. The all-electric target is a call to action for the wider industry.