According to a new sustainability report from General Motors, the company’s newly defined purpose focuses on earning customer loyalty.
The report chronicles efforts by the company’s 216,000 employees to live out GM's newly defined purpose and values by earning customer loyalty, applying meaningful technology advances, and improving the communities where it does business.
Led by CEO Mary Barra, these actions further drive sustainability into the company’s culture through building safer and smarter vehicles with less environmental impact.
“GM will take a leading role in the auto industry’s transformation as it undergoes an unprecedented period of change,” said Bob Ferguson, senior vice president, GM Global Public Policy. “From GM’s labs to its assembly lines, our people are driving the world to a better place through improved mobility.”
GM believes the future is electric, with billions of investment to support an all-in-house approach to the development and manufacturing of electrified vehicles. It now counts 180,834 on the road in the U.S. – up from 153,034 in 2013.
Chevrolet is helping make EVs more mainstream by:
Expanding sales of the Spark EV to Maryland, which has a strong infrastructure
Committing to produce an electric family vehicle for all 50 states that will go 200 miles on a charge and cost roughly $30,000
Designing the second-generation Volt arriving at dealerships this fall with a lower price than the original
Announcing a hybrid version of the Malibu that is expected to get a combined 47 city/highway MPG
Additionally, Cadillac announced plans for a plug-in hybrid of its range-topping Cadillac CT6 and Buick offers e-Assist light electrification technology on its LaCrosse and Regal.
GM's 122 landfill-free facilities inspired an aspirational goal to become the first automaker with all manufacturing sites sending zero waste to landfill. These waste management efforts help to curb climate change. The company's recycling and reuse efforts in 2014 – 2.5 million metric tons – avoided more than 10 million metric tons of CO2-equivalent emissions, which more than offset its worldwide manufacturing emissions.
Progress against other 2020 global manufacturing commitments with a 2010 baseline includes:
Reducing water intensity by 11% toward a goal of 15%
Reducing energy and carbon intensity by 11% each toward a goal of 20%
Reducing total waste 23% and establishing a new target of 40%