General Motors continues efforts in fulfilling its vision of a world where crashes, congestion, and emissions are no longer a part of the daily commute, from passengers to businesses. As a proud Michelin partner, General Motors pushes the limits when addressing transportation concerns that other companies have accepted as a norm.
Following the highly anticipated reveal of the Michelin Uptis Prototype at this year’s Movin’On Summit, GM’s Senior Vice President of Global Purchasing & Supply Chain, Steve Kiefer, shared a glimpse of what’s to come for transportation and how automation is transforming the way consumers approach the daily commute.
“At General Motors we have a vision of a world with zero crashes, zero emissions, and zero congestion,” Kiefer said. “It’s really a vision not just of GM, but a vision for our industry and our world and sustainable planet. I’m extremely proud of the position that General Motors has taken with the “Zero, Zero, Zero” vision. I’d like to comment on just a few of the elements of it.”
GM’s Senior Vice President of Global Purchasing & Supply Chain, Steve Kiefer, shared a glimpse of what’s to come for transportation.
Through GM’s “Zero, Zero, Zero” vision, transportation is transformed from every aspect including safety and reliability, to sustainable innovation and affordability. By tackling the biggest issues in transportation, GM creates solutions for major issues impacting the economy and overall safety for all drivers.
Zero Crashes
“First of all: zero crashes. We have been working with our partner – Cruise Automation, and have developed four different generations of autonomous vehicles that are committed to autonomous, person-free driving. As most of you may know, 94 percent of the crashes in the world are due to driver error. We believe autonomous vehicles will eliminate crashes in the future.”
And it doesn’t stop there. Keifer announced General Motors will soon boast an entire fleet of electric vehicles ranging from passenger cars, SUVs, and full-size pickup trucks. This vision has already taken shape in the form of the battery-only Bolt EV offering competitive pricing and outlasting ranges of other EVs.
Zero Emissions
“The second thing is zero emissions, and first let me talk about the beautiful Bolt EV. This is really the first of General Motors’ vehicles that really achieve an affordable, long-range vehicle. This vehicle has a range of 238 miles, an incredible amount of cargo space, and a 0-60 time in six and a half seconds. We often say it’s not just the “great electric vehicle” because it’s a great vehicle. This is part of our commitment to an all-electric future.”
Time is of the essence and GM tackles the issue head-on by adding it to their vision for the future. Time is something that simply cannot be bought back, so GM wants to provide a way to re-purpose the hours wasted due to congestion.
Zero Congestion
“Last thing I will comment on is zero congestion. Our goal is really to give our customers their time back. An interesting survey that revealed U.S. drivers sit idly in traffic an average of one full week per year during their commute. That’s 168 hours of precious time and a cost of over $3 billion a year when you break it down. Part of our solution will be to provide hassle-free access to transportation through mobility choices such as Lyft and Uber,” he concluded.
To read more about what General Motors and Michelin are doing to support sustainable transportation, please visit: GM.com
