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 and provide software-enabled services and subscriptions worldwide. Our automotive operations meet the demands of our customers through our automotive segments: GM North America (GMNA) and GM International (GMI) with vehicles developed, manufactured and/or marketed under the Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC 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. Cruise is our global segment responsible for the development and commercialization of autonomous vehicle technology. We provide automotive financing services through our General Motors Financial Company, Inc. (GM Financial) segment. Refer to Part II, Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (MD&A) and Note 23 to our consolidated financial statements for financial information about our segments. Except for per share amounts or as otherwise specified, amounts presented within tables are stated in millions. Forward-looking statements in this Business section are not guarantees of future performance and may involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Refer to Item 1A. Risk Factors and the "Forward-Looking Statements" section of Part II, Item 7. MD&A for a discussion of these risks and uncertainties.
Our vision for the future is a world with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion, which guides our growth-focused strategy to invest in electric vehicles (EVs) and autonomous vehicles (AVs), software-enabled services and subscriptions and new business opportunities, while strengthening our market position in profitable internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, such as trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVs). We have committed to an all-electric future with a core focus on zero emission battery EVs as part of our long-term strategy to reduce petroleum consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As a result, we have committed to making total EV and AV investments of more than $35.0 billion from 2020 through 2025.
We have an opportunity to grow our vehicle and financing revenue by continuing to capitalize on the strength of our franchises and scaling our EV production and customer base over the next decade. We also have the potential of growing our revenue through our software-enabled services and subscriptions, including OnStar, our advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS), Super Cruise, and future offerings, such as our next-generation ADAS, Ultra Cruise, and Ultifi. Additionally, we are incubating several new businesses with a start-up mindset that we believe will enable us to attract new customers and generate revenues in new areas.
Electric Vehicles We plan to launch more than 30 EVs globally by 2025. A key element in our EV strategy is Ultium, our all-new dedicated battery electric platform. Our first Ultium-based products launched with the GMC HUMMER EV and BrightDrop EV600 in 2021, to be followed by the Cadillac LYRIQ in 2022. This all-new platform is flexible and will be leveraged across multiple brands and vehicle sizes, styles and drive configurations, allowing for quick response to customer preferences and a shorter design and development lead time compared to our ICE vehicles.
In September 2021, we announced three new drive assist motors as part of Ultium Drive, calibrated in-house to ensure the highest level of performance in Ultium-based EVs. We designed the motors as a scalable family, sharing design principles as well as similar tooling and manufacturing strategies.
In November 2021, we began production at GM’s Factory ZERO Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center (Factory ZERO), which was re-tooled into a fully dedicated EV facility to produce the GMC HUMMER EV and the upcoming Cruise Origin and Chevrolet Silverado EV, which we revealed in January 2022 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. In January 2022, we announced that we will convert our assembly plant in Orion Township, Michigan for production of the Chevrolet Silverado EV and the electric GMC Sierra. Additionally, we have announced plans to mass-produce battery cells for these and other future EVs through Ultium Cells LLC (an equally owned joint venture with LG Energy Solution) in Lordstown, Ohio, Spring Hill, Tennessee and Lansing, Michigan. A fourth U.S.-based battery cell plant is also planned by mid-decade.
To support mass market adoption of EVs, 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
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networks and charge station health into Ultium Charge 360, a holistic charging approach that integrates charging networks, GM vehicle mobile apps and other products and services to simplify the overall charging experience for GM EV owners.
Ultium Charge 360 is also available to our fleet and BrightDrop customers and offers fleet and facility management tools, integration with GM’s fleet management offerings and support across a wide range of fleet sizes. In October 2021, we announced a new Dealer Community Charging Program to install up to 40,000 Level 2 EV chargers across the U.S. and Canada. Working with our dealers, we intend to expand access to charging in local communities, including in underserved, rural and urban areas where EV charging access is often limited. This initiative, which is expected to begin in 2022, is part of our commitment to invest nearly $750 million to expand home, workplace and public charging infrastructure through the Ultium Charge 360 ecosystem through 2025.
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. Additionally, we offer OnStar Guardian, a mobile app that allows customers to access key OnStar safety and security services from anywhere and in any vehicle. Fleet customers leverage OnStar Vehicle Insights, our telematics solution across their entire fleet, regardless of vehicle make or model. We also offer a variety of connected services, including mobile apps for owners to remotely control certain vehicle features and EV owners to locate charging stations, on-demand vehicle diagnostics, GM Smart Driver, GM Marketplace in-vehicle commerce, Amazon Alexa in-vehicle voice, Google's Voice Assistant, navigation and app ecosystem, connected navigation and SiriusXM with 360L and 4G LTE wireless connectivity. In August 2021, we announced plans to roll out 5G connectivity in select model year 2024 vehicles.
Super Cruise and Ultra Cruise We offer Super Cruise, the industry's first hands-free driver assistance feature for enabled roads in the U.S. and Canada, which is powered by vehicle connectivity by means of a Super Cruise subscription. Super Cruise capabilities will be available on eight model year 2022 vehicles in the beginning of 2022 and will expand to be included on more than 20 models by 2023. In October 2021, we announced Ultra Cruise, a significant next step in hands-free advanced driving-assistance technology that we anticipate will be available on select models in 2023. It will create a virtually door-to-door hands-free driving experience as it will be designed to handle 95 percent of all driving scenarios on every paved road in the U.S. and Canada over time.
Ultifi Our end-to-end software platform Ultifi will provide our customers with software-defined features, apps and services over-the-air starting in 2023. Ultifi and the apps it enables will empower customers to update their ownership experiences continuously with desirable features such as vehicle performance, ADAS, safety and security features, climate and comfort options, personal themes and EV ownership experience elements, including battery and charging details.
Cruise Cruise is driving leadership in the development and commercialization of AV technology. 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. The Cruise Origin, a purpose-built, all-electric, self-driving vehicle that is being co-developed by GM, Cruise and Honda Motor Company, Ltd. (Honda), will be built on General Motors’ all-new modular architecture, powered by the Ultium platform, at Factory ZERO starting in early 2023, pending government approvals. In October 2020, Cruise received a driverless test permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles to remove test drivers from Cruise autonomous test vehicles in San Francisco and subsequently began fully driverless testing. In October 2020, GM and Cruise also announced they will file an exemption petition with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) seeking regulatory approval for the Origin’s deployment, and withdrew an earlier exemption petition that was limited to the Cruise AV derived from the Chevrolet Bolt platform.
In June 2021, Cruise received a driverless test permit from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to provide unpaid rides to the public in driverless vehicles. In September 2021, Cruise received approval of its Autonomous Vehicle Deployment Permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles to commercially deploy driverless AVs. Cruise will need one additional permit from the CPUC to charge the public for driverless rides in California. 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, but as Cruise continues to expand and scale its operations safety will continue to be the gating metric — supported by Cruise's Safety Management System and its other risk identification, assessment and mitigation processes.
BrightDrop BrightDrop is building an ecosystem of all-electric and connected first-to-last mile products and services, including light commercial vehicles, smart containers and a software platform for fleet and asset management designed to help delivery and logistics companies deliver goods more efficiently. We are converting our CAMI manufacturing plant in Ingersoll,
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Ontario to produce the all new BrightDrop EV600 and BrightDrop EV410 electric light commercial vehicles. In December 2021, we started deliveries of the BrightDrop EV600 to FedEx Express, our launch customer. Additionally, we announced that Verizon will be the first customer for the BrightDrop EV410.
HYDROTEC We are developing hydrogen fuel cell applications across transportations and industries, including mobile power generation, class 7/8 truck, locomotive, aerospace and marine applications. The development of HYDROTEC is another element of our long-term strategy and commitment toward the reduction of petroleum consumption and GHG emissions. We believe hydrogen fuel cells will play an important role in many automotive and other mobility applications where customers will derive additional benefits from the ability to refuel quickly, an extended range, suitability for heavier payloads and central refueling of large fleets. GM and Honda, through our long-term strategic alliance to collaborate in research and advanced engineering efforts, are developing and commercializing fuel cell systems. In 2021, GM announced it will supply HYDROTEC to Navistar, Inc., which is developing hydrogen-powered heavy trucks to launch in 2024, and to Liebherr-Aerospace, which is developing hydrogen-powered auxiliary power units for aircraft. In June 2021, we announced a collaboration with Wabtec Corporation to develop and commercialize the Ultium platform and HYDROTEC fuel systems for their locomotives.
OnStar Insurance Services OnStar Insurance is currently available in 46 states and Washington, D.C. and is expected to be available in all 50 states by the second quarter of 2022. In the future, we plan to integrate insurance products into the vehicle experience and offer premiums based on personal driving behaviors by leveraging, with customer consent, data coming from GM vehicles.
GM Defense Providing commercially developed solutions, including purpose-built vehicles, for government and military customers. GM Defense's growth strategy is focused on building a portfolio of products, including the Infantry Squad Vehicle and the purpose-built Heavy Duty Suburban, by leveraging our manufacturing and innovation capabilities.
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, 2021, 30% 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,
2021 2020 2019
GMNA 2,308 80.7 % 2,707 80.3 % 3,214 76.4 %
GMI 551 19.3 % 663 19.7 % 995 23.6 %
Total 2,859 100.0 % 3,370 100.0 % 4,209 100.0 %
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 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.
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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,
2021 2020 2019
Industry GM Market Share Industry GM Market Share Industry GM Market Share
North America
United States 15,383 2,218 14.4 % 14,892 2,547 17.1 % 17,499 2,887 16.5 %
Other 3,083 356 11.5 % 2,804 377 13.4 % 3,645 480 13.2 %
Total North America 18,466 2,574 13.9 % 17,696 2,924 16.5 % 21,144 3,367 15.9 %
Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa
China(a) 25,878 2,892 11.2 % 24,926 2,901 11.6 % 25,398 3,094 12.2 %
Other 19,389 431 2.2 % 18,094 530 2.9 % 21,457 584 2.7 %
Total Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa 45,267 3,323 7.3 % 43,020 3,431 8.0 % 46,855 3,678 7.9 %
South America
Brazil 2,119 242 11.4 % 2,055 338 16.4 % 2,787 476 17.1 %
Other 1,488 151 10.2 % 1,105 132 12.0 % 1,531 193 12.6 %
Total South America 3,607 393 10.9 % 3,160 470 14.9 % 4,318 669 15.5 %
Total in GM markets 67,340 6,290 9.3 % 63,876 6,825 10.7 % 72,317 7,714 10.7 %
Total Europe 15,080 1 — % 14,946 1 — % 19,021 4 — %
Total Worldwide(b) 82,420 6,291 7.6 % 78,822 6,826 8.7 % 91,338 7,718 8.4 %
United States
Cars 3,262 138 4.2 % 3,341 239 7.1 % 4,632 389 8.4 %
Trucks 4,125 1,223 29.6 % 4,050 1,257 31.0 % 4,494 1,332 29.7 %
Crossovers 7,996 857 10.7 % 7,501 1,051 14.0 % 8,373 1,166 13.9 %
Total United States 15,383 2,218 14.4 % 14,892 2,547 17.1 % 17,499 2,887 16.5 %
China(a)
SGMS 1,277 1,407 1,482
SGMW 1,615 1,494 1,612
Total China 25,878 2,892 11.2 % 24,926 2,901 11.6 % 25,398 3,094 12.2 %
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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.
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As discussed above, total vehicle sales and market share data provided in the table above includes fleet vehicles. We sell vehicles directly or through our dealer network to fleet customers, including daily rental car companies, commercial fleet customers, leasing companies and governments. 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,
2021 2020 2019
GMNA 399 493 741
GMI 311 351 498
Total fleet sales 710 844 1,239
Fleet sales as a percentage of total vehicle sales 11.3 % 12.4 % 16.1 %
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. Our customers can obtain a wide range of after-sale vehicle services and products through our dealer network, such as maintenance, light repairs, collision repairs, vehicle accessories and extended service warranties. The number of authorized dealerships and other agents performing similar functions were 4,670 in GMNA and 7,670 in GMI at December 31, 2021.
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 products to 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, and those repairs are made almost exclusively with GM parts. Our dealers generally provide their customers with access to credit or lease financing, vehicle insurance and extended service contracts, which may be provided by GM Financial and other financial institutions.
The quality of GM dealerships and our relationship with our dealers are critical to our success given that they 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 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 GHG emissions control, improved fuel economy, EVs, AVs and the safety of drivers and passengers. Research and development expenses were $7.9 billion, $6.2 billion and $6.8 billion in the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019.
Product Development The Global Product Development organization is responsible for designing, developing and integrating all global products and their components while aiming to maximize part sharing across multiple vehicle segments. Global teams in Design, Program Management & Execution, Component & Subsystem Engineering, Product Integrity, Safety, Controls and Software Engineering 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 vehicle portfolio, with more than 75% of our global internal combustion vehicle sales volume expected to come from five internal combustion vehicle architectures through this decade. We
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will continue to leverage our architecture portfolio to accommodate our customers around the world while achieving our financial goals.
We invested in construction of the Wallace Battery Cell Innovation Center, an all-new facility that will significantly expand the Company's battery technology operations and accelerate development and commercialization of longer range, more affordable EV batteries. The Wallace Center will be located on the campus of the Global Technical Center in Warren, Michigan.
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 do not normally carry substantial inventories of these raw materials in excess of levels reasonably required to meet our production requirements, and we have not experienced any significant shortages of raw materials. Costs are expected to remain elevated due to the price of commodities and the continuing existence of tariffs. We also purchase systems, components and parts from suppliers. The global semiconductor supply shortage has had, and is continuing to have, wide-ranging effects across multiple industries, particularly the automotive industry. Refer to Item 1A. Risk Factors and to Part II, Item 7. MD&A for further discussion on the effect the global semiconductor supply shortage has had on our results of operations.
In some instances, we purchase systems, components, parts and supplies from a single source, which may increase risk to 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. Combined purchases from our two largest suppliers were approximately 12% of total purchases in the year ended December 31, 2021, and approximately 11% of our total purchases in each of the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019. Refer to Item 1A. Risk Factors for further discussion of these risks.
Our transition to EVs includes a resilient, scalable and more sustainable North America-focused EV supply chain. Certain of the initiatives we have advanced in 2021 include sourcing silicon carbide power device solutions for GM’s EV programs, processing cathode active material, sourcing U.S. lithium with more sustainable extraction methods and sourcing permanent magnets using locally sourced raw materials.
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 to support vehicle sales. 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, or 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 of funding 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, securitization transactions and the issuance of unsecured debt in the capital markets.
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Human Capital
The foundation of GM’s business is our Purpose: We pioneer the innovations that move and connect people to what matters. It's why we exist. Our Purpose, growth strategy and culture all help us on our path towards achieving our vision of — 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 and long-lasting change. GM’s unwavering commitment in this regard includes taking steps to ensure that all areas of our business are
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supportive of a world-class inclusive, equitable and diverse organization. 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. This commitment is embraced at all levels of the organization, including our diverse Board of Directors, which is currently made up of more than 50% women (7 out of 13 members) and is more than 30% racially or ethnically diverse (4 out of 13 members). In alignment with these commitments, GM publicly disclosed its EEO-1 Consolidated Report for the first time in 2021.
Based on these longstanding values, our Chair and CEO, Mary Barra, chairs an Inclusion Advisory Board (IAB) of 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 underrepresented groups in our workplace. Through our participation in the Business Roundtable Multiple Pathways Initiative and OneTen, for example, we are specifically aiming to build more robust pipelines for skills-based hiring into our company while ensuring long-term developmental opportunity.
Develop and Retain Talented People Today, we compete for talent against other automotive companies and against businesses in other sectors, such as technology. To win and keep top talent, we must provide a workplace culture that encourages employee behaviors aligned with our values, fulfills their long-term individual aspirations and provides experiences that make individuals feel valued, included and engaged. 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. Formal 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, and our Degreed Learning Platform, which brings forth a variety of external and in-house content in learning pathways and other micro learnings. It is also tied to our GM Competency and skills model. 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.
GM recognizes that leadership effectiveness is a critical business need. All new managers in the Company are automatically entered into a six-month immersive learning program and all new executives come together annually for a week-long upskilling and targeted development program designed around the GM leadership profile.
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 access to fitness facilities in certain locations, which help us both attract talent and reap the benefits of a healthier workforce. In addition, leveraging our experience with remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic, GM recently instituted “Work Appropriately,” a policy whereby, depending on the nature of their work, our employees have the flexibility to work where they can have the greatest impact to achieve their goals and for their individual success.
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Employees At December 31, 2021, we employed approximately 83,000 (53%) hourly employees and approximately 74,000 (47%) salaried employees. At December 31, 2021, approximately 45,000 (46%) of our U.S. employees were represented by unions, a majority of which were represented by the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW). The following table summarizes worldwide employment (in thousands):
December 31, 2021
GMNA(a) 115
GMI 33
GM Financial 9
Total Worldwide 157
U.S. - Salaried 53
U.S. - Hourly 45
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(a) Includes Cruise.
Information About our Executive Officers As of February 2, 2022, 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 (60) Chair and Chief Executive Officer (2016)
Julian Blissett (55) Executive Vice President and President, GM China (2020) Senior Vice President, International Operations (2019)
Vice President, Executive Shanghai GM (2014)
Stephen K. Carlisle (59) 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 (64) Executive Vice President, Global Public Policy, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary (2021)
Executive Vice President and General Counsel (2015)
Christopher T. Hatto (51) 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 (50) Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (2020) Delta Air Lines, Executive Vice President — Chief Financial Officer (2013)
Gerald Johnson (59) Executive Vice President, Global Manufacturing and Sustainability (2019) Vice President, North America Manufacturing and Labor Relations (2017)
Vice President of Operational Excellence (2014)
Douglas L. Parks (60) 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 (58) President (2019) Executive Vice President and President, Global Product Development Group and Cadillac (2018)
Executive Vice President, Global Product Development, Purchasing & Supply Chain (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.
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. Regulatory authorities may conduct ongoing evaluations of products from all manufacturers. For additional information, refer to Item 1A. Risk Factors.
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The U.S. federal government, through the Environmental Protection Agency (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. The Clean Air Act permits states that have areas with air quality compliance issues to adopt California emission standards in lieu of federal requirements. Seventeen 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.
For 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 the states that have adopted California emission requirements.
The Canadian federal government's current vehicle pollutant emission requirements are generally aligned with U.S. federal 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.
Brazil has approved a set of national emission standards referred to as L7, to be implemented in 2022, and L8, to be implemented from 2025 onward. L7 standards cover tailpipe exhaust gases, durability for emissions, evaporative emissions and noise limits, and include additional OBD requirements and a phase-in for onboard refueling vapor recovery systems. L8 standards include targets for vehicle 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 and Vauxhall businesses and certain other assets in Europe (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 emission standards may result in changes to these standards, 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. Beyond this, as a part of the EU’s desire to accelerate the shift to sustainable mobility, the EU is looking to develop stricter emission standards (Euro 7) for all petrol and diesel cars, vans, lorries and buses, as well as reform CO2 standards, and place requirements on batteries to be used in EVs. For additional information, refer to Note 16 to our consolidated financial statements.
Automotive Fuel Economy and GHG Emissions In the U.S., NHTSA promulgates and enforces Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for three separate fleets: domestic cars, import 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. In March 2020, NHTSA and the EPA issued a rule setting fuel economy and GHG emission standards for light-duty vehicles through the 2026 model year. Those actions are currently being challenged through litigation; however, the litigation is currently held in abeyance as the agencies have since proposed new, more stringent light-duty CAFE and GHG standards. Though NHTSA and the EPA have previously issued joint CAFE and GHG standards, the agencies have now separately proposed, and the EPA has finalized, standards with differing stringency levels and affected model years, with the proposed CAFE standards addressing the 2024-2026 model years and the GHG standards addressing the 2023-2026 model years. NHTSA and the EPA 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 light-duty EPA GHG program is deemed compliance with CARB standards. However, in December 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 emission standards will no longer be deemed compliance with CARB's separate requirements. In September 2019, NHTSA issued a rule asserting that California is preempted from regulating GHG emissions. Litigation challenging that rule is currently being held in abeyance, as the EPA has since proposed, and NHTSA has finalized, actions that could result in a restoration of California’s ability to promulgate and enforce its own state GHG standards. Depending on the outcome of the
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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 differing EPA GHG, California GHG and CAFE 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 14 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. Litigation over EPA and NHTSA's actions is currently being held in abeyance, as EPA and NHTSA have since proposed actions that could result in a restoration of California’s ability to promulgate and enforce ZEV standards. Depending on any final agency action taken by the EPA and NHTSA, and/or the outcome of the related litigation, there is a possibility that additional U.S. jurisdictions could adopt California ZEV requirements in the future.
In Canada, light- and heavy-duty GHG regulations are currently patterned after the EPA GHG emission standards given the integrated nature of the auto sector between Canada and the United States. The Canadian government is conducting a mid-term review of its 2022 to 2025 model year light-duty GHG standards and is considering regulatory developments of the U.S. in this regard. In addition, the Canadian province of Quebec has ZEV requirements regulating the 2018 to 2025 model years largely based on California program requirements and the province of British Columbia’s similar ZEV regulations that were completed in July 2020 and cover the 2020 to 2039 model years. Both provinces are further updating their ZEV regulations and the Canadian federal government recently proposed to ban the sale of ICE vehicles in Canada beginning in 2035, although no specific draft regulations have been shared at this time.
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 fuel consumption requirement, the China Phase 5 launched in 2021 and full compliance is required by 2025. In addition, China has established a mandate that requires passenger car manufacturers to produce a certain volume of plug-in hybrid, battery electric and fuel cell vehicles, which are referred to as New Energy Vehicles (NEVs), to generate credits in 2019 and beyond. 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 and improving technological sophistication over time. 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 aimed at further increasing volumes of NEVs in 2024 and 2025. China has provided various levels of subsidies for NEVs, and certain subsidies have been extended to the end of 2022.
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 SUVs, including diesel vehicles, imposing more stringent standards for each period.
We have several options to comply with existing and potential new global regulations. Such options include increasing production and sale of certain vehicles, such as EVs, and curtailing production of less fuel efficient ICE vehicles; technology changes, including fuel consumption efficiency and engine upgrades; payment of penalties; and/or purchase of credits from third parties. We regularly evaluate our current and future product plans and strategies for compliance with fuel economy and GHG regulations.
We plan to be carbon neutral by 2040 in our global products and operations, supported by a commitment to science-based targets. In addition, the Company announced our vision of an all-electric future and our plan to eliminate tailpipe emissions from new light-duty vehicles by 2035. These targets align with our growth and transformation plan including our commitment to an all-electric future, which will be enabled by our Ultium platform and HYDROTEC technology as previously detailed. We also announced, in June 2021, our plans to increase our investment in EVs and AVs to more than $35.0 billion through 2025 to accelerate this transformation plan.
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, including climate change, we are embracing sustainability programs focused on reducing operational GHG emissions, water consumption and discharge and waste disposal.
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In 2021, we launched our new global GM Zero Waste program, with a goal to divert waste from landfills and incinerators. For the year ended December 31, 2021, GM's facilities included in the global GM Zero Waste program diverted over 1.1 million metric tons of waste from landfills and incinerators through composting, reusing and recycling.
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. To that end, we have set a goal of meeting the electricity needs of our operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025 in the U.S., a goal we recently accelerated from 2030, and by 2035 globally.
Through December 31, 2021, 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 75% of our U.S. electricity use and approximately 40% of our global electricity use. In 2019 and 2020, we executed two of our largest green tariffs to date with DTE Energy Company, sourcing 840,000 megawatt hours of renewable energy that began supplying us in early 2021 in phase 1 with the remainder expected in mid-2023 in phase 2. 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, including executing a 28 megawatts solar green tariff with TVA to supply our Bowling Green Assembly Plant. In 2021, Energy Star certified two assembly plants and four buildings in the U.S. for superior energy management. We also met the EPA Energy Star Challenge for Industry (EPA Challenge) at five additional sites by reducing energy intensity an average of 15% at these sites within two 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 132 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, governments continue to introduce new legislation and regulations related to the selection and use of chemicals by mandating broad prohibitions or restrictions and implementing vehicle interior air quality, 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. Increases in the use of circuit boards and other electronics may require additional assessment under the Restriction on Hazardous Substances and Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment directives. New European requirements require suppliers of parts and vehicles to the European market to disclose Substances of Concern in Parts.
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. In addition, several U.S. states have chemical management regulations that can affect vehicle design and manufacturing such as chemical restriction and use requirements. Chemical restrictions and export controls in Canada continue to steadily progress under the Environment and Climate Change Canada's Chemical Management Plan to assess existing substances and implement risk management controls on any chemical deemed toxic.
These emerging laws and regulations will potentially lead to increases in costs and supply chain complexity. Manufacturers, including joint venture partners and suppliers, that do not comply with global and specific country regulations could be subject to civil penalties, production disruptions, or limitations on the sale of affected products. We believe we are materially in compliance with substantially all these requirements or expect to be materially in compliance by the required dates.
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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.
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 United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (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.
Website Access to Our Reports Our internet website address is https://www.gm.com. In addition to the information about us and our subsidiaries contained in this 2021 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 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 2021 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 https://www.sec.gov.
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