Item 1. Business
Item 1. Business
General Motors Company (sometimes referred to as we, our, us, ourselves, the Company, General Motors, or GM) was incorporated as a Delaware corporation in 2009. We design, build and sell trucks, crossovers, cars and automobile parts worldwide. Cruise is our global segment responsible for the development and commercialization of autonomous vehicle technology. We also provide automotive financing services through General Motors Financial Company, Inc. (GM Financial). Except for per share amounts or as otherwise specified, amounts presented within tables are stated in millions.
On July 31, 2017, we closed the sale of the Opel and Vauxhall businesses and certain other assets in Europe (the Opel/Vauxhall Business) to Peugeot, S.A. (PSA Group). On October 31, 2017, we closed the sale of the European financing subsidiaries and branches (the Fincos, and together with the Opel/Vauxhall Business, the European Business) to Banque PSA Finance S.A. and BNP Paribas Personal Finance S.A. The European Business is presented as discontinued operations in our consolidated financial statements for all periods presented. Unless otherwise indicated, information in this report relates to our continuing operations.
Automotive Our automotive operations meet the demands of our customers through our automotive segments: GM North America (GMNA) and GM International (GMI). GMNA meets the demands of customers in North America with vehicles developed, manufactured and/or marketed under the Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC brands. GMI primarily meets the demands of customers outside North America with vehicles developed, manufactured and/or marketed under the Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC and Holden brands. We also have equity ownership stakes in entities that meet the demands of customers in other countries, primarily in China, with vehicles developed, manufactured and/or marketed under the Baojun, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and Wuling brands.
In addition to the vehicles we sell through our dealer network to retail customers, we also sell vehicles directly or through our dealer network to fleet customers, including daily rental car companies, commercial fleet customers, leasing companies and governments. Our customers can obtain a wide range of aftersale vehicle services and products through our dealer network, such as maintenance, light repairs, collision repairs, vehicle accessories and extended service warranties.
Refer to Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (MD&A) and Note 24 to our consolidated financial statements for financial information about our segments.
Competitive Position and Vehicle Sales The principal factors that determine consumer vehicle preferences in the markets in which we operate include overall vehicle design, price, quality, available options, safety, reliability, fuel economy and functionality. Market leadership in individual countries in which we compete varies widely.
We present both wholesale and total vehicle sales data to assist in the analysis of our revenue and our market share. Wholesale vehicle sales data consists of sales to GM's dealers and distributors as well as sales to the U.S. Government and excludes vehicles sold by our joint ventures. Wholesale vehicle sales data correlates to our revenue recognized from the sale of vehicles, which is the largest component of Automotive net sales and revenue. In the year ended December 31, 2020, 30.5% of our wholesale vehicle sales volume was generated outside the U.S. The following table summarizes wholesale vehicle sales by automotive segment (vehicles in thousands):
Years Ended December 31,
2020 2019 2018
GMNA 2,707 80.3 % 3,214 76.4 % 3,555 75.5 %
GMI 663 19.7 % 995 23.6 % 1,152 24.5 %
Total 3,370 100.0 % 4,209 100.0 % 4,707 100.0 %
Total vehicle sales data represents: (1) retail sales (i.e., sales to consumers who purchase new vehicles from dealers or distributors); (2) fleet sales, such as sales to large and small businesses, governments, and daily rental car companies; and (3) vehicles used by dealers in their businesses, including courtesy transportation vehicles. Total vehicle sales data includes all sales by joint ventures on a total vehicle basis, not based on our percentage ownership interest in the joint venture. Certain joint venture agreements in China allow for the contractual right to report vehicle sales of non-GM trademarked vehicles by those joint ventures, which are included in the total vehicle sales we report for China. While total vehicle sales data does not correlate
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directly to the revenue we recognize during a particular period, we believe it is indicative of the underlying demand for our vehicles. Total vehicle sales data represents management's good faith estimate based on sales reported by GM's dealers, distributors, and joint ventures, commercially available data sources such as registration and insurance data, and internal estimates and forecasts when other data is not available.
The following table summarizes industry and GM total vehicle sales and our related competitive position by geographic region (vehicles in thousands):
Years Ended December 31,
2020 2019 2018
Industry GM Market Share Industry GM Market Share Industry GM Market Share
North America
United States 14,924 2,547 17.1 % 17,499 2,887 16.5 % 17,721 2,954 16.7 %
Other 2,798 377 13.5 % 3,645 480 13.2 % 3,839 536 14.0 %
Total North America 17,722 2,924 16.5 % 21,144 3,367 15.9 % 21,560 3,490 16.2 %
Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa
China(a) 24,922 2,901 11.6 % 25,398 3,094 12.2 % 26,519 3,645 13.7 %
Other 17,986 533 3.0 % 21,457 584 2.7 % 22,258 557 2.5 %
Total Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa 42,908 3,434 8.0 % 46,855 3,678 7.9 % 48,777 4,202 8.6 %
South America
Brazil 2,057 338 16.4 % 2,787 476 17.1 % 2,566 434 16.9 %
Other 1,101 132 12.0 % 1,531 193 12.6 % 1,925 256 13.3 %
Total South America 3,158 470 14.9 % 4,318 669 15.5 % 4,491 690 15.4 %
Total in GM markets 63,788 6,828 10.7 % 72,317 7,714 10.7 % 74,828 8,382 11.2 %
Total Europe 14,795 1 — % 19,021 4 — % 18,928 4 — %
Total Worldwide(b) 78,583 6,829 8.7 % 91,338 7,718 8.5 % 93,756 8,386 8.9 %
United States
Cars 3,366 239 7.1 % 4,632 389 8.4 % 5,206 560 10.7 %
Trucks 4,055 1,257 31.0 % 4,494 1,332 29.7 % 4,215 1,360 32.3 %
Crossovers 7,503 1,051 14.0 % 8,373 1,166 13.9 % 8,300 1,034 12.5 %
Total United States 14,924 2,547 17.1 % 17,499 2,887 16.5 % 17,721 2,954 16.7 %
China(a)
SGMS 1,407 1,482 1,749
SGMW 1,494 1,612 1,896
Total China 24,922 2,901 11.6 % 25,398 3,094 12.2 % 26,519 3,645 13.7 %
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(a) Includes sales by our Automotive China Joint Ventures (Automotive China JVs): SAIC General Motors Sales Co., Ltd. (SGMS) and SAIC GM Wuling Automobile Co., Ltd. (SGMW).
(b) Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria are subject to broad economic sanctions . Accordingly these countries are excluded from industry sales data and corresponding calculation of market share.
In the year ended December 31, 2020, we estimate we were the market share leader in North America. Refer to the "Overview" section in Part II, Item 7. MD&A for discussion on changes in market share by region.
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As discussed above, total vehicle sales and market share data provided in the table above includes fleet vehicles. Certain fleet transactions, particularly sales to daily rental car companies, are generally less profitable than retail sales to end customers. The following table summarizes estimated fleet sales and those sales as a percentage of total vehicle sales (vehicles in thousands):
Years Ended December 31,
2020 2019 2018
GMNA 493 741 740
GMI 351 498 478
Total fleet sales 844 1,239 1,218
Fleet sales as a percentage of total vehicle sales 12.4 % 16.1 % 14.5 %
Product Pricing Several methods are used to promote our products, including the use of dealer, retail and fleet incentives such as customer rebates and finance rate support. The level of incentives is dependent upon the level of competition in the markets in which we operate and the level of demand for our products.
Cyclical and Seasonal Nature of Business The market for vehicles is cyclical and depends in part on general economic conditions, credit availability and consumer spending. Vehicle markets are also seasonal. Production varies from month to month. Vehicle model changeovers occur throughout the year as a result of new market entries.
Relationship with Dealers We market vehicles and automotive parts worldwide primarily through a network of independent authorized retail dealers. These outlets include distributors, dealers and authorized sales, service and parts outlets. The number of authorized dealerships were 4,697 in GMNA and 7,661 in GMI at December 31, 2020.
We and our joint ventures enter into a contract with each authorized dealer agreeing to sell to the dealer one or more specified product lines at wholesale prices and granting the dealer the right to sell those vehicles to retail customers from an approved location. Our dealers often offer more than one GM brand at a single dealership in a number of our markets. Authorized dealers offer parts, accessories, service and repairs for GM vehicles in the product lines that they sell using GM parts and accessories. Our dealers are authorized to service GM vehicles under our limited warranty program, and those repairs are made only with GM parts. Our dealers generally provide their customers with access to credit or lease financing, vehicle insurance and extended service contracts provided by GM Financial and other financial institutions.
The quality of GM dealerships and our relationship with our dealers and distributors are critical to our success given that dealers maintain the primary sales and service interface with the end consumer of our products. In addition to the terms of our contracts with our dealers, we are regulated by various country and state franchise laws and regulations that may supersede those contractual terms and impose specific regulatory requirements and standards for initiating dealer network changes, pursuing terminations for cause and other contractual matters.
Research, Product and Business Development and Intellectual Property Costs for research, manufacturing engineering, product engineering and design and development activities primarily relate to developing new products or services or improving existing products or services, including activities related to vehicle and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions control, improved fuel economy, electrification, autonomous vehicles, and the safety of drivers and passengers. Research and development expenses were $6.2 billion, $6.8 billion and $7.8 billion in the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018.
Product Development The Product Development organization is responsible for designing and integrating vehicle and propulsion components while aiming to maximize part sharing across multiple vehicle segments. Global teams in Design, Program Management, Component & Subsystem Engineering, Product Integrity, Safety, Propulsion Systems and Purchasing & Supply Chain collaborate to meet customer requirements and maximize global economies of scale.
Our global vehicle architecture development is headquartered at our Global Technical Center in Warren, Michigan. Cross-segment part sharing is an essential enabler to optimize our current vehicle portfolio, as we expect that more than 75% of our global sales volume will come from five vehicle architectures by mid-decade. We will continue to leverage our current architecture portfolio to accommodate our customers around the world while achieving our financial goals.
Battery Electric Vehicles We have committed to an all-electric future and are investing in multiple technologies offering increasing levels of vehicle electrification with a core focus on zero emission battery electric vehicles as part of our long-term strategy to reduce petroleum consumption and GHG emissions. We currently offer the Chevrolet Bolt EV, which has an
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Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-estimated range of 259 miles on a full charge with the 2020 model year. We have also announced our all-new Ultium battery electric architecture capable of more than 400 miles of GM-estimated range on a full charge that will launch on the upcoming GMC Hummer EV in 2021, followed by the Cadillac LYRIQ in 2022 and additional models by 2025. This new platform will be flexible, allowing quick response to customer preferences with a shorter design and development lead time compared to our internal combustion engine vehicles. Ultium will be leveraged across multiple brands and vehicle sizes, styles and drive configurations. Our new electric vehicle assembly facilities will include Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly, renamed "Factory ZERO". In January 2020, we announced a $2.2 billion investment in our Factory ZERO assembly plant, which is being re-tooled into a fully-dedicated electric vehicle facility to produce the GMC Hummer EV, Cruise Origin, a shared self-driving vehicle, and other electric vehicles. In October 2020, we also announced a $2.0 billion investment in our Spring Hill Manufacturing facility in Tennessee, where we will build the Cadillac LYRIQ. In addition, we have announced plans to mass-produce battery cells for these and other future battery electric vehicles at Ultium Cells LLC (an equally owned joint venture with LG Chem, Ltd.) in Lordstown, Ohio.
To support mass market adoption of electric vehicles, we are working to ensure that our customers will have access to comprehensive charging solutions. For personal vehicles, this means strategically addressing charging needs at home, the workplace and in public locations. For fleet vehicles, this means turnkey charging solutions and fleet and facility energy management services. We have announced collaborative work with several charge network operators to filter real-time data on their respective networks and charge station health into our Energy Assist feature within the myChevrolet app, currently available to Chevrolet Bolt EV drivers.
In January 2021, we announced a new business, BrightDrop, which will offer an ecosystem of electric first-to-last mile products, software and services designed to help delivery and logistics companies deliver goods more efficiently. In addition, we plan to invest approximately CAD $1.0 billion to convert our CAMI manufacturing plant in Ingersoll, Ontario to produce the BrightDrop EV600 electric cargo van.
Autonomous Technology We expect autonomous technology to lead to a future of zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion. We believe that building all-electric vehicles with autonomous capabilities integrated from the beginning, rather than through retrofits, is the most efficient way to unlock the tremendous potential societal benefits of self-driving cars. In January 2020, the Cruise Origin was unveiled by Cruise which is being co-developed by GM, Cruise and Honda Motor Company, Ltd. (Honda). The Cruise Origin will be built on General Motors’ all-new modular architecture, powered by the Ultium battery system. In October 2020, Cruise received a permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles to remove back-up drivers from Cruise AV test vehicles in San Francisco and subsequently began truly driverless testing. Also in October 2020, GM and Cruise announced they will file an exemption petition with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) seeking regulatory approval for the Origin’s deployment, and have withdrawn an earlier exemption petition that was limited to the Cruise AVs derived from the Chevrolet Bolt platform. In January 2021, we announced that Microsoft Corporation (Microsoft) will join us and other investors in a $2.2 billion investment in Cruise. Cruise may continue to opportunistically seek additional funding in this round in 2021. Given the potential of all-electric self-driving vehicles to help save lives, reshape our cities and reduce emissions, the goal of Cruise is to deliver its self-driving services as soon as possible, with safety being the gating metric.
Alternative Fuel Vehicles We believe alternative fuels offer significant potential to reduce petroleum consumption and resulting GHG emissions in the transportation sector. By leveraging experience and capability developed around these technologies in our global operations, we continue to develop FlexFuel vehicles that can run on ethanol-gasoline blend fuels as well as technologies that support compressed natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas. We offer several 2021 model year FlexFuel vehicles in the U.S. and Canada to retail and fleet customers capable of operating on gasoline, E85 ethanol or any combination of the two. We also support the development of biodiesel blend fuels, which are alternative diesel fuels produced from renewable sources.
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology Another part of our long-term strategy toward electrification and the reduction of petroleum consumption and GHG emissions is our commitment to the development of our Hydrotec hydrogen fuel cell technology. We believe hydrogen fuel cells will play an important role in many automotive applications, such as commercial vehicles, where customers will derive additional benefits from the ability to refuel quickly, extended range, and suitability for heavier payloads and central refueling of large fleets. GM is also evaluating promising fuel cell end-use applications for aerospace, stationary backup power and mobile power. In addition, GM and Honda, through their long-term strategic alliance to collaborate in research and advanced engineering efforts on fuel cell systems, are developing and commercializing fuel cell systems with production scheduled for the early 2020s. In January 2021, we announced an agreement to supply our Hydrotec fuel cell power cubes to Navistar for use in its production model fuel cell electric vehicle.
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OnStar and Vehicle Connectivity We offer OnStar and connected services to more than 22 million connected vehicles globally through subscription-based and complimentary services. We are among the leaders in the industry with significant global real-world experience in delivering connected services and advanced safety features. OnStar provides safety and security services for retail and fleet customers, including automatic crash response, emergency services, roadside assistance, crisis assist, stolen vehicle assistance and turn-by-turn navigation. We also offer a variety of connected services, including mobile applications for owners to remotely control certain vehicle features and electric vehicle owners to locate charging stations, on-demand vehicle diagnostics, GM Smart Driver, GM Marketplace in-vehicle commerce, Amazon Alexa in-vehicle voice, connected navigation, SiriusXM with 360L and 4G LTE wireless connectivity. We also offer Super Cruise, the industry's first hands-free driver assistance feature for enabled roads, which is powered by vehicle connectivity by means of a Super Cruise subscription. The Super Cruise plan enables real-time GPS and mapping updates and connects the vehicle to an OnStar emergency advisor for situations in which a driver is non-responsive to escalating alerts. Super Cruise will be expanded to be included on 22 models by 2023. Additionally, we have announced plans to integrate Google's Voice Assistant, navigation and app ecosystem into GM infotainment systems beginning in 2021.
Intellectual Property We are constantly innovating and hold a significant number of patents, copyrights, trade secrets and other intellectual property that protect those innovations in numerous countries. While no single piece of intellectual property is individually material to our business as a whole, our intellectual property is important to our operations and continued technological development. Additionally, we hold a number of trademarks and service marks that are very important to our identity and recognition in the marketplace.
Raw Materials, Services and Supplies We purchase a wide variety of raw materials, parts, supplies, energy, freight, transportation and other services from numerous suppliers to manufacture our products. The raw materials primarily include steel, aluminum, resins, copper, lead and precious metals. We have not experienced any significant shortages of raw materials and normally do not carry substantial inventories of these raw materials in excess of levels reasonably required to meet our production requirements. Costs are expected to remain elevated due to the price of commodities and the continuing existence of tariffs. We purchase systems, components and parts from suppliers. A global semiconductor supply shortage is having wide-ranging effects across multiple industries, particularly the automotive industry. Refer to Item 1A. Risk Factors for further discussion of this risk.
In some instances, we purchase systems, components, parts and supplies from a single source and may be at an increased risk for supply disruptions. The inability or unwillingness of these sources to provide us with parts and supplies could have a material adverse effect on our production capacity. Combined purchases from our two largest suppliers were approximately 11% of our total purchases in each of the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, and approximately 12% of our total purchases in the year ended December 31, 2018. Refer to Item 1A. Risk Factors for further discussion of these risks.
Environmental and Regulatory Matters
Automotive Criteria Emissions Control Our products are subject to laws and regulations globally that require us to control certain non-GHG automotive emissions, including vehicle and engine exhaust emission standards, vehicle evaporative emission standards and onboard diagnostic (OBD) system requirements. Emission requirements have become more stringent as a result of stricter standards and new diagnostic requirements that have come into force in many markets around the world, often with very little harmonization. While we believe all of our products are designed and manufactured in material compliance with substantially all vehicle emissions requirements, regulatory authorities may conduct ongoing evaluations of products from all manufacturers.
The U.S. federal government, through the EPA, imposes stringent exhaust and evaporative emission control requirements on vehicles sold in the U.S. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) likewise imposes stringent exhaust and evaporative emission standards. These emission control standards will likely increase the time and mileage periods over which manufacturers are responsible for a vehicle's emission performance. The Clean Air Act permits states that have areas with air quality compliance issues to adopt California emission standards in lieu of federal requirements. Fourteen states and the District of Columbia have adopted California emission standards, and there is a possibility that additional U.S. jurisdictions could adopt California emission requirements in the future.
The Canadian federal government's current vehicle pollutant emission requirements are generally aligned with U.S. federal requirements.
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Each model year we must obtain certification that our vehicles and heavy-duty engines will meet emission requirements of the EPA before we can sell vehicles in the U.S. and Canada, and of CARB before we can sell vehicles in California and other states that have adopted the California emission requirements.
In 2019, certain areas within China began implementation of the China 6 emission standard (China 6) requirements. China 6 combines elements of both European Union (EU) and U.S. standards and increases the time and mileage periods over which manufacturers are responsible for a vehicle's emission performance. Nationwide implementation of China 6a for new registrations occurred in January 2021, and the more stringent China 6b is expected to be implemented in July 2023. For additional information, refer to Item 1A. Risk Factors.
Brazil has approved a set of national emissions standards referred to as L7, to be implemented in 2022, and L8, to be implemented from 2025 onward. L7 standards include exhaust tailpipe gases, durability for emissions, evaporative emissions and noise limits, additional OBD requirements and a phase-in for onboard refueling vapor recovery systems. L8 standards include real drive emission targets for real driving emissions and reduce corporate exhaust limits every two years until 2031. Some of the requirements are aligned with those of the EPA.
As a result of the sale of the Opel/Vauxhall Business, GM’s vehicle presence in Europe is smaller, but GM may still be affected by actions taken by regulators related both to Opel/Vauxhall vehicles sold before the sale of the Opel/Vauxhall Business as well as to other vehicles GM continues to sell in Europe. In the EU, increased scrutiny of compliance with emissions standards may result in changes to these standards, including implementation of real driving emissions tests, as well as stricter interpretations or redefinition of these standards and more rigorous enforcement. For example, our former German subsidiary has participated in continuing discussions with German and European authorities concerning emissions control systems. For additional information, refer to Note 22 to our consolidated financial statements.
Automotive Fuel Economy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions In the U.S., NHTSA promulgates and enforces Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for three separate fleets: domestically produced cars, imported cars and light-duty trucks. Manufacturers are subject to substantial civil penalties if they fail to meet the applicable CAFE standard in any model year, after considering all available credits for the preceding five model years, expected credits for the three succeeding model years and credits obtained from other manufacturers. In addition to federal CAFE standards, the EPA promulgates and enforces GHG emission standards, which are effectively fuel economy standards because the majority of vehicle GHG emissions are carbon dioxide emissions that are emitted in direct proportion to the amount of fuel consumed by a vehicle. In March 2020, the EPA and NHTSA issued a rule setting fuel economy and GHG emissions standards for the light-duty vehicles through the 2026 model year, which is currently being challenged through litigation. On January 25, 2021, President Biden issued Executive Order 13990, directing the EPA and NHTSA to, by July 2021, consider publishing a proposed rule suspending, revising, or rescinding those standards, and has also permitted the Department of Justice to seek to stay or dispose of litigation challenging those standards. The EPA and NHTSA also regulate the fuel efficiency and GHG emissions of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, imposing more stringent standards over time.
In addition, CARB has asserted the right to promulgate and enforce its own state GHG standards for motor vehicles, and other states have asserted the right to adopt CARB's standards. CARB regulations previously stated that compliance with the EPA light-duty program is deemed compliance with CARB standards. However, on December 12, 2018, CARB amended this regulation to state that, in the event the EPA were to alter federal GHG stringency, which it now has, compliance with the EPA's GHG emissions standards will no longer be deemed compliance with CARB's separate requirements. In September 2019, NHTSA and the EPA issued a rule asserting that California is preempted from regulating GHG emissions, which is currently being challenged through litigation. As a result, depending on the outcome of the federal CAFE and GHG rulemakings and related litigation and the finality of CARB's regulatory amendment, in the future GM might be required to meet California GHG standards that are different than the EPA standards.
CARB has also imposed the requirement that increasing percentages of Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) must be sold in California. The Clean Air Act permits states to adopt California emission standards, and 11 have adopted the ZEV requirements. In September 2019, the EPA revoked the waiver it had granted to California that permitted its ZEV program, and NHTSA also asserted preemption of California's ZEV program. Both the EPA and NHTSA's actions are currently being challenged through litigation. Depending on the outcome of that litigation, there is a possibility that additional U.S. jurisdictions could adopt California ZEV requirements in the future.
On January 25, 2021, President Biden issued Executive Order 13990, directing EPA and NHTSA to, by April 2021, consider publishing a proposed rule suspending, revising, or rescinding EPA and NHTSA's September 2019 actions, and has also permitted the Department of Justice to stay or dispose of litigation related to preemption of state GHG and ZEV standards. On
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February 1, 2021, the Department of Justice filed a motion seeking to hold these preemption cases in abeyance pending implementation of Executive Order 13990.
In Canada, light- and heavy-duty GHG regulations are currently patterned after the EPA GHG emissions standards. However, the Canadian government is conducting a mid-term review of its 2022 to 2025 model year light-duty GHG standards and there is an increased risk that future Canadian light-duty GHG regulations may not be aligned with the revised EPA regulations. In addition, the Canadian province of Quebec has ZEV requirements regulating the 2018 to 2025 model years largely based on California program requirements. The province of British Columbia also finalized similar ZEV regulations in July 2020 that cover the 2020 to 2039 model years. There is also the risk that the federal government or other provinces in Canada may pursue the implementation of additional ZEV requirements in the future.
China has two fuel economy requirements for passenger vehicles: an individual vehicle pass-fail type approval requirement and a fleet average fuel consumption requirement. With a focus on the fleet average program, the current China Phase 4 fleet average fuel consumption requirement, which went into effect in 2016, is based on curb weight with full compliance required by 2020. China Phase 4 has continued subsidies for plug-in hybrid, battery electric and fuel cell vehicles, which are referred to as New Energy Vehicles (NEVs). Subsidies for NEV have been extended to the end of 2022. China Phase 5 has been developed with a planned start in 2021 and full compliance is required by 2025. In addition, China has established an NEV Mandate that will require passenger car manufacturers to produce a certain volume of NEVs to generate credits in 2019 and beyond to offset internal combustion engine vehicle production volume. The number of credits per car is based on the level of electric range and energy efficiency, with the goal of increasing NEV volume penetrations. Uncommitted NEV credits may be used to assist compliance with the fleet average fuel consumption requirement. China has issued NEV credit targets between 2019 and 2023 and is setting new NEV credit targets aiming at further increasing volumes of NEVs in 2024 and 2025.
In Brazil, the Secretary of Industry and Development promulgates and enforces CAFE standards and has enforced a new CAFE program for the period October 2020 to September 2026 and October 2026 to September 2032 for light-duty and mid-size trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVs), including diesel vehicles, imposing more stringent standards for each period.
Regulators in other jurisdictions have already adopted or are developing fuel economy or carbon dioxide regulations. If regulators in these jurisdictions seek to impose and enforce standards that are misaligned with market conditions, we may be forced to take various actions to increase market support programs for certain vehicles and curtail production of others in order to achieve compliance. We regularly evaluate our current and future product plans and strategies for compliance with fuel economy and GHG regulations.
Industrial Environmental Control Our operations are subject to a wide range of environmental protection laws including those regulating air emissions, water discharge, waste management and environmental cleanup. Certain environmental statutes require that responsible parties fund remediation actions regardless of fault, legality of original disposal or ownership of a disposal site. Under certain circumstances these laws impose joint and several liability as well as liability for related damages to natural resources.
To mitigate the effects of our worldwide operations on the environment, we are embracing sustainability programs focused on reducing GHG emissions, water consumption and discharge and waste disposal. At December 31, 2020, 81% of waste materials generated in our manufacturing facilities across the globe are composted, reused or recycled. We estimate that our waste reduction program diverted 1.0 million metric tons of waste from landfills in 2020, and resulted in 4.6 million metric tons of GHG emissions avoided in global manufacturing operations.
In addition to reducing our impact on the environment, our waste reduction commitments generate income from the sale of production by-products, reduce our use of raw materials and help to reduce the risks and financial liabilities associated with waste disposal.
We continue our efforts to increase our use of renewable energy, improve our energy efficiency and work to drive growth and scale of renewables. We are committed to meeting the electricity needs of our operations worldwide with renewable energy by 2035, pulling forward our previous commitment by five years, and plan to be carbon neutral by 2040 in our global products and operations, supported by a commitment to science-based targets. In addition to our carbon goals, the company worked with the Environmental Defense Fund to develop a shared vision of an all-electric future and an aspiration to eliminate tailpipe emissions from new light-duty vehicles by 2035. Through December 31, 2020, we implemented projects and signed renewable energy contracts globally that brought our total renewable energy capacity to over one gigawatt by 2023, which represents approximately 60% of our U.S. electricity use and over 40% of our global electricity use. In 2019, we executed our largest
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green tariff to date with DTE Energy Company, sourcing 300,000 megawatt hours of renewable energy that will begin supplying us in early 2021. Additionally, in 2020 we executed our largest power purchase agreement to date, with 180 megawatts of solar electricity supplying our U.S. operations starting in 2023. We continue to seek opportunities for a diversified renewable energy portfolio including wind, solar, and landfill gas. In 2020, Energy Star certified two assembly plants, one in Canada through Natural Resources Canada and one in the U.S. as well as five buildings in the U.S. for superior energy management. We also met the EPA Energy Star Challenge for Industry (EPA Challenge) at six additional sites by reducing energy intensity an average of 14% at these sites within three years. To meet the EPA Challenge, industrial sites must reduce energy intensity by 10% within a five year period. In total, 69 GM-owned manufacturing sites have met the EPA Challenge, with many sites achieving the goal multiple times for a total of 129 recognitions. Additionally, we received recognition from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) of 50001 Ready status for 25 facilities. The U.S. DOE 50001 Ready program is a self-guided approach for facilities to establish an energy management system and self-attest to the structure of ISO 50001, a voluntary global standard for energy management systems in industrial, commercial and institutional facilities. These sustainability efforts reduce our operational expenses and are part of our approach to improve the sustainability of our operations by aligning our business strategy with aggressive environmental goals and reduction targets, collecting accurate data, and publicly reporting progress against our targets.
Chemical Regulations We continually monitor the implementation of chemical regulations to maintain compliance and evaluate their effect on our business, suppliers and the automotive industry.
Globally, governmental agencies continue to introduce new legislation and regulations related to the selection and use of chemicals by mandating broad prohibitions or restrictions and implementing green chemistry, life cycle analysis and product stewardship initiatives. These initiatives give broad regulatory authority to ban or restrict the use of certain chemical substances and potentially affect automobile manufacturers' responsibilities for vehicle components at the end of a vehicle's life, as well as chemical selection for product development and manufacturing. Global treaties and initiatives such as the Stockholm, Basel and Rotterdam Conventions on Chemicals and Waste and the Minamata Convention on Mercury, are driving chemical regulations across signatory countries. In addition, more global jurisdictions are establishing substance standards with regard to Vehicle Interior Air Quality.
Chemical regulations are increasing in North America. In the U.S. the EPA is moving forward with risk analysis and management of high priority chemicals under the authority of the 2016 Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, and several U.S. states have chemical management regulations that can affect vehicle design such as the California and Washington laws banning the use of copper in brake friction material. Chemical restrictions in Canada continue to steadily progress as a result of Environment and Climate Change Canada's Chemical Management Plan to assess existing substances and implement risk management controls on any chemical deemed toxic.
China prohibits the use of several chemical substances in vehicles. There are also various regulations in China stipulating the requirements for chemical management. Among other things, these regulations restrict the use, import and export of various chemical substances. The failure of our joint venture partners or our suppliers to comply with these regulations could disrupt production in China or prevent our joint venture partners from selling the affected products in the China market.
These emerging laws and regulations will potentially lead to increases in costs and supply chain complexity. We believe that we are materially in compliance with substantially all of these requirements or expect to be materially in compliance by the required dates.
Vehicle Safety
U.S. Requirements The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 (the Safety Act) regulates the vehicles and items of motor vehicle equipment that we manufacture and sell. The Safety Act prohibits the sale in the United States of any new vehicle or equipment that does not conform to applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards established by NHTSA. Meeting or exceeding the many safety standards is costly as global compliance and non-governmental assessment requirements continue to evolve and grow more complex, and lack harmonization globally. The Safety Act further requires that if we or NHTSA determine a vehicle or an item of vehicle equipment does not comply with a safety standard, or that vehicle or equipment contains a defect that poses an unreasonable safety risk, we must conduct a safety recall to remedy that condition in the affected vehicles. Should we or NHTSA determine a safety defect or noncompliance issue exists with respect to any of our vehicles, the cost of such recall campaigns could be substantial.
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Other National Requirements Outside of the U.S., many countries have established vehicle safety standards and regulations and are likely to adopt additional, more stringent requirements in the future. The European General Safety Regulation has introduced UN-ECE regulations, which are required for the European Type Approval process. Globally, governments generally have been adopting UN-ECE based regulations with some variations to address local concerns. Any difference between North American and UN-ECE based regulations can add complexity and costs to vehicle development, and we continue to support efforts to harmonize regulations to reduce complexity. New safety and recall requirements in various countries around the world, including in China, Brazil, and Gulf Cooperation Council countries, also may add substantial costs and complexity to our safety and field action activities globally. In Canada, vehicle regulatory requirements are currently aligned with U.S. regulations; however, under the Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Act, recall thresholds are different and the Minister of Transport has broad powers to order manufacturers to submit a notice of defect or non-compliance when the Minister considers it to be in the interest of safety. Further, various governments are beginning to mandate e-Call and other features that can be market-specific and add complexity and increase our cost of compliance globally.
Crash Test Ratings and New Car Assessment Programs Organizations in various regions around the world, including in the U.S., rate and compare motor vehicles through various New Car Assessment Programs (NCAPs) to provide consumers and businesses with additional information about the safety of new vehicles. NCAPs use crash tests and other evaluations that are different than what is required by applicable regulations, and use stars to rate vehicle safety, with five stars awarded for the highest rating and one for the lowest. Achieving high NCAP ratings, which can vary by country and region, can add complexity and cost to vehicles.
Automotive Financing - GM Financial GM Financial is our global captive automotive finance company and our global provider of automobile finance solutions. GM Financial conducts its business in North America, South America and through joint ventures in China.
GM Financial provides retail loan and lease lending across the credit spectrum. Additionally, GM Financial offers commercial lending products to dealers including floorplan financing, which is lending to finance new and used vehicle inventory; and dealer loans, which are loans to finance improvements to dealership facilities, to provide working capital, and to purchase and/or finance dealership real estate. Other commercial lending products include financing for parts and accessories, dealer fleets and storage centers.
In North America, GM Financial offers a sub-prime lending program. The program is primarily offered to consumers with a FICO score or its equivalent of less than 620 who have limited access to automobile financing through banks and credit unions and is expected to sustain a higher level of credit losses than prime lending.
GM Financial generally seeks to fund its operations in each country through local sources to minimize currency and country risk. GM Financial primarily finances its loan, lease and commercial origination volume through the use of secured and unsecured credit facilities, through securitization transactions and through the issuance of unsecured debt in the capital markets.
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Human Capital The foundation of GM’s business is our vision – a world with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion. Our people are our most valuable asset, and we must continue to attract and retain the best talent in the world in order to achieve this vision. As a result, we strive to create a Workplace of Choice to attract, retain and develop top talent by adhering to a responsible employer philosophy, which includes, among other things, commitments to create job opportunities, pay workers fairly, ensure safety and well-being, and promote diversity, equity and inclusion. Fundamental to these commitments are our company values.
Our eight GM behaviors are the foundation of our culture; and how we behave encompasses key measures of our performance, including the visible ways we conduct ourselves as we work with one another.
Diversity, equity and inclusion At GM, we are committed to fostering a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion. In every moment, we must decide what we can do – individually and collectively – to drive meaningful deliberate change. GM’s unwavering position includes a commitment to inclusion, an unequivocal condemnation of intolerance, and a commitment to stand up against injustice. Our ability to meet the needs of a diverse and global customer base is tied closely to the behaviors of the people within our company, which is why we are committed to fostering a culture that celebrates our differences.
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Based on these longstanding values, our Chairman and CEO, Mary Barra, chairs an Inclusion Advisory Board (IAB) of 11 internal and external leaders who guide our work to improve diversity and inclusion in our company. The purpose of the IAB is to consult with GM’s Senior Leadership Team with the long-term goal of inspiring the company to be inclusive through our words, deeds and culture.
We also have a number of programs and partnerships aimed at enhancing our culture of inclusion throughout the company. For example, we have 11 voluntary, employee-led resource groups that provide a forum for diverse employees and allies from a variety of different backgrounds to share experiences and express concerns. Each group also works to attract new talent to our company and offers employees opportunities to support our company’s diversity initiatives within the community.
In addition, we are expanding our partnerships with organizations aimed at supporting our ongoing efforts to increase the representation of women and minorities in our workplace. Through our participation in the OneTen organization and Business Roundtable Multiple Pathways initiative, for example, we are specifically aiming to build more robust pipelines for skills-based hiring into our company. Working in concert with local organizations, such efforts are intended to create new pathways to employment for individuals without four-year degrees, provide training opportunities for advancement, and create a more flexible and inclusive talent pipeline.
Develop and Retain Talented People Today, we compete for talent against other automotive companies and, increasingly, against businesses in other sectors, such as technology. To win and keep talent, we must provide a workplace culture that encourages employee behaviors aligned with our values, fulfills their long-term individual aspirations and achieves full engagement. In furtherance of this goal, we invest significant resources to retain and develop our talent. In addition to mentoring and networking opportunities, we offer a vast array of career development resources to help develop, grow and enable employees to make the most of their careers at GM. Such resources include, among other things, the Technical Education Program, which offers our employees an opportunity to complete corporate strategically aligned degrees and certificate programs at leading universities, our Learning Management System with access to ongoing learning resources to augment and enrich employees’ professional development and Percipio Resources , which provides our employees with access to a full range of videos, books, and eBooks to develop and enhance skills. Employees in some of our technical roles also have the opportunity to participate in the GM Technical Learning University — a training and upskilling program designed to expand and update the technical prowess of our workforce.
Safety and well-being The safety and well-being of our employees is also a critical component of our ability to transform the future of personal mobility. At GM, we pride ourselves on our commitment to live values that return people home safely – Every Person, Every Site, Every Day. Our unwavering commitment to safety is manifested through empowering employees to “Speak Up for Safety” through various means without fear of retaliation. The well-being of our employees is equally as important to entice and stimulate creativity and innovation. In addition to traditional healthcare, paid time off, paid parental leave, wellness programs, flextime scheduling and telecommuting arrangements and retirement benefits, including a 401(k) matching program, GM offers a variety of benefits and resources to support employees physical and mental health, including on-site fitness facilities and a health concerns hotline, which help us both attract talent and reap the benefits of a healthier workforce.
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Employees At December 31, 2020, we employed approximately 87,000 (56%) hourly employees and approximately 68,000 (44%) salaried employees. At December 31, 2020, approximately 46,000 (49%) of our U.S. employees were represented by unions, a majority of which were represented by the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agriculture Implement Workers of America (UAW). The following table summarizes worldwide employment (in thousands):
December 31, 2020
GMNA(a) 112
GMI 34
GM Financial 9
Total Worldwide 155
U.S. - Salaried 48
U.S. - Hourly 46
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(a) Includes Cruise.
Information About our Executive Officers As of February 10, 2021, the names and ages of our executive officers and their positions with GM are as follows:
Name (Age) Present GM Position (Effective Date) Positions Held During the Past Five Years (Effective Date)
Mary T. Barra (59) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (2016)
Julian Blissett (54) Executive Vice President and President, GM China (2020) Senior Vice President, International Operations (2019)
Vice President, Executive Shanghai GM (2014)
Stephen K. Carlisle (58) Executive Vice President and President, North America (2020) Senior Vice President and President, Cadillac (2018)
President and Managing Director, GM Canada (2015)
Craig B. Glidden (63) Executive Vice President and General Counsel (2015)
Christopher T. Hatto (50) Vice President, Global Business Solutions and Chief Accounting Officer (2020) Vice President, Controller and Chief Accounting Officer (2018)
Chief Financial Officer, U.S. Sales Operations (2016)
Paul A. Jacobson (49) Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (2020) Delta Air Lines, Executive Vice President — Chief Financial Officer (2013)
Gerald Johnson (58) Executive Vice President, Global Manufacturing (2019) Vice President, North America Manufacturing and Labor Relations (2017)
Vice President of Operational Excellence (2014)
Randall D. Mott (64) Executive Vice President, Global Information Technology and Chief Information Officer (2019) Senior Vice President, Global Information Technology and Chief Information Officer (2013)
Douglas L. Parks (59) Executive Vice President, Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain (2019) Vice President, Autonomous and Electric Vehicles (2017)
Vice President, Autonomous Technology and Vehicle Execution (2016)
Mark L. Reuss (57) President (2019) Executive Vice President and President, Global Product Development Group and Cadillac (2018)
Executive Vice President, Global Product Development, Purchasing & Supply Chain (2014)
Matthew Tsien (60) Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer (2020) Executive Vice President and President, GM China (2014)
There are no family relationships between any of the officers named above and there is no arrangement or understanding between any of the officers named above and any other person pursuant to which he or she was selected as an officer. Each of the officers named above was elected by the Board of Directors to hold office until his or her successor is elected and qualified or until his or her earlier resignation or removal.
Website Access to Our Reports Our internet website address is www.gm.com. In addition to the information about us and our subsidiaries contained in this 2020 Form 10-K, information about us can be found on our website including information on our corporate governance principles and practices. Our Investor Relations website at https://investor.gm.com contains a significant
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amount of information about us, including financial and other information for investors. We encourage investors to visit our website, as we frequently update and post new information about our company on our website and it is possible that this information could be deemed to be material information. Our website and information included in or linked to our website are not part of this 2020 Form 10-K.
Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Exchange Act), are available free of charge through our website as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding our filings at http://www.sec.gov.
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