GM bets big on electric, says it will sell only zero-emission vehicles by 2035

GM pledges electric future
(Image credit: Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

General Motors — the maker of the Hummer, the company that "killed the electric car" two decades ago — announced Thursday that it will phase out gas- and diesel-powered cars and trucks by 2035 and sell only zero-emission vehicles. Three-quarters of GM's carbon output comes from the tailpipes of the cars, trucks, and SUVs it sells, and going electric is the cornerstone of its other ambitious plan announced Thursday, to be a completely zero-emission company by 2040.

This is "a seismic shift by one of the world's largest automakers that makes billions of dollars today from gas-guzzling pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles," The New York Times reports. But auto industry analysts said it's a smart bet. GM's shares rose more than 3.5 percent on the news.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.