2012 Sustainability Report: GM’s Product Commitments
This morning we released our 2012 Sustainability Report, which outlines our long-term, customer-driven sustainability strategy.
“Sustainability is not only a key part of how GM is shifting from a good to great company, it is about the leadership and innovation that can transform the auto industry,” said GM Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson. “Our long-term approach to sustainability enables us to increase efficiency and reimagine personal mobility to best meet customer needs and lifestyles.”
At the heart of this strategy is our pledge to meet customer needs for efficient vehicles and significantly reduce their environmental impact, focusing on three specific commitments.
1. We will put 500,000 vehicles on the road in the U.S. with some form of electrification by 2017
GM believes electric vehicles offer the best long-term solution to reduce dependence on petroleum and the carbon footprint of driving. Our EV story began two years ago with the introduction of the Chevrolet Volt, the world’s first mass-produced electric vehicle with extended range capability, and continues with the all-electric Chevrolet Spark EV and 2014 Cadillac ELR.
The Spark EV goes on sale this summer in California and Oregon, and is the industry benchmark in retail electric vehicle efficiency, delivering an EPA-estimated combined city/highway 119 MPGe fuel economy and EPA-estimated range of 82 miles per charge.
The 2014 Cadillac ELR will combine the extended-range technology of the Volt with luxury styling and features that define the Cadillac brand.
2. We will double the models that achieve 40-mpg highway or better by 2017
Three years ago, about 16 percent of the vehicles we sold achieved at least 30 mpg hwy. Today, that number is about 40 percent. For the 2013 model year, we have 20 models achieving at least an EPA-estimated 30-mpg highway.
Some of the vehicles that will help us reach our 40 mpg goal are the Chevrolet Volt, Sonic and Cruze Eco, as well as the all-new Cadillac ELR and Chevrolet Spark EV andCruze Clean Turbo Diesel.
We are improving the efficiency of gasoline engines using a suite of technologies that include downsizing, turbocharging, direct injection, and variable valve timing. We also focus on mass reduction, aerodynamics, lightweight materials, tire construction and other technologies to make our vehicles more efficient.
3. We will reduce average U.S. fleet CO2 emissions 15 percent by 2016 and European fleet CO2 emissions 27 percent by 2020
We expect to improve the fuel economy of our fleet by more than 18 percent for U.S. models between 2011 and 2016, which should yield a more than 15 percent reduction in CO2 emissions. This will also help reduce fuel consumption in the U.S. by more than 8 billion gallons over the life of these vehicles (12 to 15 years). In Europe, we estimate that by 2020 technologies and fleet improvements will result in a 27 percent reduction – nearly 1 million tons – in CO2 from today’s levels.
Overall, we believe there’s economic opportunity in addressing climate change. These new product commitments help us to tackle this issue, while delivering value for customers.
Read more about our sustainability strategy at gmsustainability.com.
