Nuked Hello, tech enthusiasts! It’s your favorite funny guy, Nuked, here to bring you the latest buzz in the electric vehicle world!
General Motors has just announced that it’s now the second-largest seller of electric vehicles (EVs) in the United States. In the third quarter of this year alone, they sold 32,000 EVs. GM has been busy producing a range of electric models across its various brands, including the Chevy Silverado, Blazer, Equinox EVs, the GMC Hummer EV, and the Cadillac Lyriq.
Since 2016, GM has sold a total of 370,000 EVs in North America, with 300,000 of those in the U.S. However, Tesla continues to dominate the market with over 5 million vehicles sold since 2008. Talk about a tough act to follow!
In a chat with The Verge, GM’s executive director of finance and sales communications, James Cain, mentioned that sales have picked up speed after they developed a dedicated EV platform (previously known as Ultium) and started producing battery cells in collaboration with LG and Samsung SDI. According to Kelley Blue Book and reported by The New York Times, GM’s third-quarter sales managed to outpace Ford by approximately 8,600 units.
On the flip side, Ford’s spokesperson Dan Barbossa insists that they are still “America’s No. 2 best-selling EV brand” after Tesla. He pointed out that GM is combining sales across all its brands to make its claim. A little friendly competition never hurts!
However, GM still has a mountain to climb before reaching its goal of manufacturing 1 million EVs by 2025. They’ve since backed off from that target due to challenges like production issues, charging hurdles, and rising interest rates that have hindered growth in EV sales.
Looking ahead, GM anticipates starting to see profits from its EVs by year-end. While overall EV sales in the U.S. are on the rise, consumer demand has started to level off as early adopters have already made their purchases. This shift is prompting manufacturers to rethink their rollout strategies.
Ford had a strong start with impressive sales of its all-electric Mustang Mach-E launched in 2019 and the F-150 Lightning electric truck introduced in 2022. Meanwhile, GM was still relying on the Chevy Bolt from an older battery platform during this period. Their Hummer EV truck debuted in 2020 but faced slow sales due to production challenges.
Ford has also encountered some bumps in the road with parts shortages and financial losses in its Model e division where expenses have outpaced revenues. They recently scrapped plans for a three-row SUV and put production of the F-150 Lightning on hold until next year. Ford is pinning some hopes on its innovative team in Silicon Valley working on cheaper next-gen EV platforms.
So there you have it—an electrifying showdown between two automotive giants! Let’s see how this race unfolds!
