Conference Presentation, Interview
Mary Barra on Driving Into the Future
- General Motors targets a 2019 launch of safe autonomous vehicles in geofenced ride-sharing environments and aims for autonomous capabilities next year contingent upon safety validation, with Mary Barra anticipating unexceptional driverless vehicle presence in dense urban centers like New York City or San Francisco within five years and widespread replacement of personal driving in major cities three years later (approx. 8 years).
- The company expects the next generation of profitable, desirable electric vehicles to arrive in the early-to-mid 2020s, operating on an all-electric future including battery electric and fuel cell powertrains with anticipated cost reductions, while mandating that all future autonomous fleets utilize electric vehicle architectures.
- To optimize the environmental ecosystem, GM plans to collaborate with power providers to schedule charging at night when office air conditioning demand is low, and aims to secure one national fuel efficiency standard in the U.S. to prevent environmental regression caused by consumers purchasing older, less efficient used vehicles due to a lack of uniform regulation.
- General Motors is committed to achieving 25,000 quality public school seats in Detroit through the Detroit Children's Fund to prevent out-migration of young families, and intends to expand the "Take Two" re-entry internship program from engineering and IT to finance roles to re-engage women leaving the workforce, specifically addressing the tendency for women to under-apply for jobs by implementing mentoring programs.
- The outlook includes advocating for a level playing field in free trade with reduced tariffs and open markets, solving urban parking and congestion pain points via autonomous shared mobility, and expecting the Department of Transportation to adopt creative guidelines that allow technology deployment based on demonstrated safety metrics and 360-degree sensor data without premature regulation.