Let’s face it, GM already has most of the pickup market covered. Chevy for the everyman, GMC for those who like to remind their neighbors they’re a little better off, and the Hummer EV for people who enjoy vaporizing their wallets, and maybe the planet, too, considering the thing weighs as much as a small moon.

But what if GM decided to go all-in on absurdity and create a Cadillac pickup, a luxury flagship so over-the-top opulent it’d make a Rivian R1T and a Tesla Cybertruck look like something you’d pick up at the Hertz counter? Well, thanks to some overly ambitious renderings, we now have a glimpse of what such an exercise in unnecessary excess could look like.

Read: Our First Impressions Of Cadillac’s 2026 Vistiq With Blackwing Levels Of Electric Power

This digital fever dream comes courtesy of Kelsonik, a talented render artist who decided to take GM’s GMC Sierra EV and dip it in a vat of Cadillac styling cues. GM’s flagship brand has been out of the pickup game for quite some time but isn’t unfamiliar with building high-end trucks, having previously offered a pickup version of the Escalade known as the EXT.

Rather than grafting the current Escalade’s face onto the Sierra EV, this design borrows from the all-electric Lyriq instead. Since the Sierra EV’s front fascia is significantly larger than the Lyriq’s, the Cadillac elements had to be stretched, meaning the grille and those vertical LED daytime running lights now tower like skyscrapers. Strangely enough, it works. The whole look suits the bulk and shape of a pickup surprisingly well.

Illustrations Kelsonik

Few other changes have been made to the Sierra EV’s base design, though the Caddy’s wheels are a little larger and, mercifully, it ditches those ugly orange reflectors on the fenders (seriously, who signed off on those at GM?).

More: Everything We Know About The Jaguar Type 01 Electric Sedan

Perhaps the closest thing to a modern-day Cadillac pickup we’ve seen was brought to life by a customization shop in Miami three years ago. Doms Garage Miami started with a regular Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and then proceeded to graft on the front fascia of an Escalade. Remarkably, the finished result looked excellent.

So, what do you think? Should GM dive back into the luxury pickup market and give us the Cadillac truck we never asked for but now kind of want? Or is this best left as a render-fueled fantasy? Let us know how you’d design your dream luxury truck or if this idea belongs in the automotive hall of “what could’ve been.” Either way, we’re listening.

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GM head Mary Barra raised a few eyebrows this week when she claimed the automaker and President Donald Trump are “goal-aligned” despite Trump’s plans to introduce tariffs that Barra admits could have a “very substantial” impact on GM’s business.

“I think we’re very goal-aligned,” the CEO told guests at the Automotive Press Association event on Wednesday, before going on to explain just what the two usually opposing sides see eye-to-eye about.

Related: Trump’s Tariffs Could Cut 17% From Automaker Profits

“We want a strong economy. We want a strong manufacturing base in this country. We agree automotive jobs are important,” Detroit Free Press reports Barra saying. But she made no bones about the difficulty GM (and other automakers) face, both in terms of the uncertainty in the short term, and the potential fallout from Trump’s decisions later during his time in office.

“We’ll have to see what the policies will be,” Barra said. “It’s hard for me to predict what will happen. We’re doing a lot of scenario planning, and we’ll adjust accordingly.”

Barra admitted that Trump’s proposal to place a 25 percent tariff on vehicles imported to the US from Mexico and Canada (where GM has production sites) “could have a very substantial impact” on its profitability, as could scrapping the $7,500 EV tax credit.

Although Trump and Barra have sometimes been at loggerheads, and she was the recipient of the president’s anger on social media over GM cost-cutting measures, Barra described her sometime foe as a good listener. GM will be hoping that he’s still willing to listen to what Barra has to say and not listen too intently to the opinions of Tesla boss Elon Musk – soon to be in charge of the much-hyped Department of Government Efficiency.

“Any time you have an administrative change, there’s policy changes that occur,” Barra said, per The Detroit News. “We’ve been working with any every administration for the last several decades, and General Motors will continue to do that. But I’m actually looking forward to working with the president and with the administration, because I think we can grow the importance of the auto industry and manufacturing.”

In the world of ultra-budget EVs, standing still is as good as falling behind. The SAIC-GM-Wuling joint venture seems to understand this all too well, unveiling a reimagined Hong Guang Mini EV that swaps its boxy austerity for curves and finally adds a five-door option to the mix.

More: GM’s Wuling Hong Guang EV Is A $10k Minivan With A Tesla Face

The best-selling EV family in China has more than 1.4 million cumulative sales since the debut of the original Hong Guang Mini EV in 2020. However, the growing number of competitors has caused its sales to drop over the past two years, prompting the company to perform a comprehensive redesign.

A Smoother Shape, Same Miniature Footprint

The new Hong Guang Mini EV abandons its angular roots in favor of a more rounded, approachable design. The softened headlights and curvier silhouette draw inspiration from Wuling’s slightly larger Bingo EV supermini, but the Mini EV stays true to its identity with diminutive 13-inch wheels and a playful presence.

Perhaps the most notable upgrade is the addition of a five-door version, offering significantly improved practicality over the three-door model, which remains available. Both variants share the same front and rear styling, leaving the side profile as the only clue to tell them apart.

SAIC-GM-Wuling

Bigger Dimensions, Better Space

Regardless of the bodystyle, the new Wuling Hong Guang Mini EV measures 3,256 mm (128.2 inches) long, 1,510 mm (59.4 inches) wide and 1,578 mm (62.1 inches) tall, with a wheelbase of 2,190 mm (86.2 inches). This makes it 336 mm (13.2 inches) longer compared to its three-door-only predecessor, with an extra 250 mm (9.8 inches) between the axles.

Inside, the restyled dashboard incorporates a digital cockpit with two separate displays, physical knobs for the climate controls on the center console, and a matching gear selector between the seats. According to Wuling, the stretched wheelbase results in a more spacious cabin, especially for the rear passengers.

More: SAIC-GM-Wuling’s New Concept Is Part Lancia, Part Sci-Fi Dream

While Wuling hasn’t shared all the technical specs, Chinese MIIT filings reveal that the new model retains a single rear-mounted electric motor producing 40 hp (30 kW), the same as the most powerful version of the outgoing Mini EV. Power is supplied by a lithium iron phosphate battery of unspecified capacity. Range figures remain unconfirmed, but the current model offers up to 280 km (170 miles) with its largest available 26 kWh battery pack, so expectations will likely be in a similar ballpark.

SAIC-GM-Wuling will start accepting orders for the new Hong Guang Mini EV soon, as the first examples have already been spotted in Chinese dealerships. Pricing will be announced at a later date, although we don’t expect big changes compared to the outgoing model’s starting price of ¥32,800 ($4,500).

MIIT

General Motors is selling its stake in one of the four huge EV battery plants for the US to LG Energy Solution.

The plant in question is under construction near Lansing, Michigan, and is set to open in the coming months. Work on the site started in 2022, and it was owned by GM and LG through their Ultium Cells joint venture. The duo also has battery plants in Spring Hill, Tennessee, and Warren, Ohio, and GM is also planning a joint venture battery plant with Samsung SDI in New Carlisle, Indiana.

Read: GM And Samsung SDI Building $3.5 Billion EV Battery Plant In Indiana

GM has invested approximately $1 billion in the Lansing site and expects to fully recoup this investment. The site currently employs 100 people, although this will eventually grow to 1,700 staff. It’s understood that under the sole ownership of LG, the plant will supply another automaker with batteries, although specific details haven’t been announced.

“Our EV profitability is rapidly improving thanks in part to our strategic decision to build battery cells in the U.S. with LG Energy Solution,” GM executive president and CFO Paul Jacobson said of the move. “It will be years before some of our competitors approach this level of performance. We believe we have the right cell and manufacturing capabilities in place to grow with the EV market in a capital efficient manner. When completed, this transaction will also help LG Energy Solution meet demand by leveraging capacity that’s nearly ready to come online and it will make GM even more efficient.” 

Other plants operated by Ultium Cells supply batteries to vehicles, including the Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC Sierra EV, Cadillac Lyriq, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Chevrolet Equinox EV, and the GMC Hummer EV Pickup and SUV.

Despite this shake-up, General Motors and LG Energy Solution still have a close relationship, and on the same day the split was announced for the Lansing plant, the two companies said they were extending their 14-year battery technology partnership to include prismatic cell development. These new prismatic cells will power future EVs from GM and promise to reduce weight and cost while simplifying manufacturing processes.

“Together with LG Energy Solution, we’ve built Ultium Cells into one of the largest battery cell manufacturers in North America, creating thousands of advanced technology jobs in the U.S. and powering our diverse EV portfolio,” GM vice president of battery cell and pack Kurt Kelty said. “We’re focused on optimizing our battery technology by developing the right battery chemistries and form factors to improve EV performance, enhance safety, and reduce costs. By extending our partnership with LG Energy Solution, we’re taking an important step toward these goals.” 

BYD makes more EVs than anyone, and it makes them for less money than most Western automakers can comprehend. But there is a cost, and it’s being paid by the workers in its supply chains, according to a new report investigating human rights risks in the EV industry.

Amnesty International’s Recharge for Rights study ranked 13 automakers according to how they address human rights risks in their mineral supply chains. BYD came bottom with a score of just 11 out of a potential 90 points, with Mitsubishi not far behind on 13 points.

Related: Microsoft’s AI Helps Find Promising New Battery Material With 70% Less Lithium

Hyundai (21), Geely and Nissan (22 apiece) came out looking like bad guys but Tesla (49) and top-rated Mercedes (51) performed far better. Not that even Benz’s score was enough to please the Amnesty investigators, who suggest that only a total of 68 points or more shows an adequate commitment to human rights issues.

Although EVs don’t produce tailpipe emissions, their batteries need huge quantities of minerals like lithium, nickel, and cobalt. And while many of us are aware of the environmental damage caused by mining lithium, Amnesty International says the cobalt mining industry is ripe for the abuse of workers, some of whom in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, which generates 25 percent of the world’s supply, are children.

BYD was marked down for refusing to reveal the name of the smelter, refiner, and mine that supply its minerals, but Geely, Hyundai, Mitsubishi, and GM were all guilty of a lack of transparency. In contrast, the best-rated brands were able to provide supply-chain mapping.

Human rights score

“As the global transition to electric vehicles gains momentum, drives global competition and allows for huge profit, Amnesty International is calling on all car makers to improve their human rights due diligence efforts and bring them in line with international human rights standards,” said the organization’s Agnès Callamard.

The need for automakers to prove the origins of their batteries’ minerals to be eligible for EV credits has improved transparency, Wired notes. And there are steep fines (and market access restrictions) awaiting companies who flout rules governing supply chain welfare contained in the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive that came into force in Europe this summer.

But Callamard believes there’s more to be done.

“Those lagging behind need to work harder and faster to show that human rights isn’t just a fluff phrase, but an issue they take seriously,” she says. “It’s time to shift gears and ensure electric vehicles don’t leave behind a legacy of human rights abuses – instead, the industry must drive a just energy future that leaves no one behind.”

Automakers in the US have joined forces to ask Donald Trump not to scrap EV tax credits when he takes office next January. Volkswagen, GM, Toyota and other companies have invested tens of billions in developing electric vehicles and adapting plants to build them, and are worried they’ll be rendered uncompetitive if the incoming Republican government axes the sweetener.

Writing to Trump in a November 12 letter that has only recently come to light, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation argued that the incentives made available via President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act helped ensure America’s auto industry was “globally competitive” at a time when automakers are increasingly worried about the threat posed by their Chinese rivals.

Related: Is Time Running Out For $7,500 EV Tax Credits? Experts Advise Buyers To Hurry

But in the same letter the automakers also expressed their concern about “federal and state emissions regulations (particularly in California and affiliated states) that are out-of-step with current auto market realities and increase costs for consumers,” Reuters reports.

Biden’s team introduced tough tailpipe rules that get increasingly tighter the closer we get to 2035, the date California wants to ban the sale of combustion cars, a move that will be echoed in other states as well. But the automakers say this can only be achieved by selling more EVs, despite dealers finding that most customers would still rather have a combustion car or a hybrid.

Given Trump’s known stance on green matters – he previously rolled back President Obama’s emissions regulations, and his team has vowed to attack Biden’s rules – it seems entirely possible that automakers will be given more time to clean up their cars’ CO2 outputs. However, Politico reports that Trump probably won’t be able to claw back the $7.5 billion already earmarked for charging infrastructure projects because the funds have been committed.

The automakers also urged Trump to make legislative changes that would help speed up the development and rollout of self-driving cars. But when it came to automatic emergency braking, which the Democrats have insisted must be mandatory (and meet a tough universal standard) from 2029, the car companies asked for more time.

The electric revolution has been slower than many automakers had expected, but momentum continues to build. That’s clear as General Motors has announced they have sold over 300,000 EVs in the United States since the Chevrolet Bolt was launched in late 2016.

While that particular model is no longer with us, GM’s electric vehicle lineup has exploded in the past few years as the company has launched the Cadillac Lyriq as well as a host of Chevys including the Blazer EV, Equinox EV, and Silverado EV. They’re joined by the GMC Sierra EV and Hummer EV lineup.

More: 2025 Chevy Blazer EV Gains Entry-Level FWD And High-Performance SS Models

GM no longer releases monthly sales numbers, but they delivered more than 32,000 EVs in the United States during the third quarter. That was a quarter-over-quarter increase of 46% and a 60% improvement from last year.

The Lyriq has been leading the way with year-to-date sales of 20,318 units. The luxury crossover was closely followed by the Blazer EV at 15,232 units, although both will likely be overtaken by the Equinox EV. The affordable electric crossover has been a hit with consumers and GM delivered 9,772 of them in the third quarter alone.

GM said this diverse lineup means they offer an electric vehicle for “almost every kind of driver.” There’s also an assortment of new models on the horizon as Cadillac has introduced the Optiq, Vistiq, Lyriq-V, and Escalade IQ. The Chevrolet Bolt is also slated to return next year as an affordable, mass-market option.

While GM became the number two seller of EVs in the third quarter with 32,095 sales, they’re well behind Tesla. However, Cox Automotive recently noted they’ve passed the Hyundai Motor Group (29,609) and are miles ahead of Ford (23,509).

Concept vehicles are often wild, playful, and just a bit mad. At the same time, very few reach the level of extravagance found in the Cadillac OpenSpace motorhome. Two years after it first teased us with vague details, General Motors Design has decided it’s time to peel back the digital layers on this concept. So, let’s dig into what the OpenSpace is all about, why GM might be bringing it back into the spotlight, and what it could be hinting at for the future of luxury mobility.

The OpenSpace was initially teased as the largest in a quartet of Cadillac autonomous concepts, which included the futuristic InnerSpace coupe, the single-seater PersonalSpace flying car and the six-seater SocialSpace van.

Cadillac envisions the OpenSpace with Level 5 driving autonomy, meaning it could theoretically travel from point A to point B with zero input or attention from a driver. And once it arrives? That’s where things get interesting, promising an experience that’s anything but ordinary.

Read: If You Could Have One Cadillac Concept Produced, Which Would It Be?

“Once at rest, the vehicle expands its central living spaces and access to the rooftop deck is enabled, allowing the passengers to enjoy peerless views and experiences provided by Cadillac’s exclusive resort collaborations,” the automaker says. This seems like an inevitable future albeit one that is a long way off. Once vehicles can drive themselves reliably, why wouldn’t buyers want a super-luxurious motorhome like this one?

Beyond just delivering its occupants to their destination, this recreational EV is designed to subtly blend into its surroundings. Cadillac gave it a “reflective exterior that softens the silhouette of the vehicle and allows the landscape of your destination to blend seamlessly with the Interior spaces.” No doubt, a vehicle like this could stick out like a sore thumb in some spaces. Thoughtful attention to helping it blend in is a nice touch.

More: Cadillac InnerSpace Concept Is A Luxurious, Autonomous Coupe

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It’s worth noting that, at this stage, the OpenSpace remains little more than a series of conceptual drawings. Level 5 autonomous driving is still years—perhaps even decades—away from reality in everyday production vehicles. And integrating it into something like this, with its sheer size and lavish features, feels more like designing a self-driving tiny house than a car. While this approach might not thrill traditional car enthusiasts, when fully autonomous vehicles eventually arrive, this would be a very posh way to get around.

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Analysts often tell us that the high price of EVs is one of the main reasons they’re not selling in the volumes automakers had hoped for. But that thinking doesn’t apply to the Tesla Cybertruck, whose sales are surging despite a six-figure price. It seems that, for a certain type of buyer, the Cybertruck’s brute, sci-fi appeal is well worth the price of admission.

Cybertrucks found 16,692 new owners in the US in Q3, making the pickup the country’s third most popular EV, according to data from Kelley Blue Book. Its move into the number three spot came at the expense of the Ford Mustang Mach-E, whose sales dropped by almost 10 percent to 13,392. Honda’s Prologue bagged fifth place with 12,644 units sold and 11,590 Americans bough the sixth-placed Hyundai Ioniq 5.

Related: EV Discounts Drive U.S. Record Sales Boom In Q3, But Can It Last?

As if you hadn’t already guessed, the Cybertruck’s Q3 performance also completed Tesla’s lock-out of the EV sales chart’s top three positions. But the angular truck has a long way to go before it can think of ascending to first or second spot. Second place in the Jul-Sept period went to the freshly facelifted Model 3, whose sales climbed 9.7 percent to 58,423, and the Model 3 hung onto first despite its deliveries dropping 9.1 percent to 86,801.

Other Q3 EV winners include the Cadillac Lyriq (up 139.4 percent to 7,224 units), Ford F-150 Lightning (up 104.5 percent but still miles behind the Cybertruck at 7,162), Nissan Leaf (up 187.5 percent to 4,514) and Lexus RZ (up 96.7 percent to 2,742). Toyota bZ4X sales also improved by 45.3 percent to 4,109 in a period where its Subaru Solterra twin made a more modest 34.4 percent gain to 3,752.

But not everyone can be a winner. VW ID.4 sales dropped 57.8 percent to 4,518, the Tesla Model S plummeted 46.7 percent to 1,669, Hyundai’s Ioniq 6 lost 56.9 percent of its sales, which fell to 2,158,  the Audi A8 e-tron found only 1,745 buyers (down 51.5 percent) and BMW’s i7 slipped 47 percent to just 573. America’s least popular EV was the Genesis G80. Only 155 people bought one of those, 67.1 percent fewer than in Q3 2023.

When looking at sales by brand, it’s no surprise that Tesla reigns supreme with 166,923 cars sold. Ford trails far behind in second place with 23,509 units (up 12 percent), while Chevrolet, with a 25.6 percent sales boost, rounds out the top three with 19,993 units.

US EV SALES Q3

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US EV SALES YTD (Q1-Q3)

General Motors has released their third quarter results and investors were loving it as the company’s stock shot up nearly 10% to close at $53.73 per share. That’s nearly a 52-week high and the strong performance was fueled by an assortment of positive developments.

Jumping right into the numbers, the automaker reported third quarter revenues of $48.8 billion as well as a net income attributable to stockholders of $3.1 billion. This impressive performance pushed the company to raise their full year guidance as they’re now expecting diluted earnings per share in the range of $9.14 – $9.64, which is up from the previous estimate of $8.93 – $9.93. The company also expects their full year net income attributable to stockholders to be $10.4 billion – $11.1 billion, instead of $10.0 billion – $11.4 billion.

More: 2025 GMC Yukon Gets A Much-Needed Interior Overhaul And Beefier Diesel

In a letter to shareholders, GM CEO Mary Barra said they grew U.S. retail market share in the third quarter with “above-average pricing, well-managed inventories, and below-average incentives.” The executive also pointed to improved sales in China as well as continued progress on EV production and profitability targets. Speaking of the latter, she said “we are focused on optimizing our ICE margins and working to make our EVs profitable on an EBIT basis as quickly as possible.”

Since most of the financial stuff is a snooze fest, let’s look at some interesting tidbits. Among the key points GM wanted to hammer home was leadership in full-size trucks and SUVs. They’re “#1 in full-size pickups” and are enjoying the best year-to-date total sales since 2007. GM’s position is pretty dominant as they have a 44% share of the full-size truck retail market.

That pales in comparison to their commanding lead in full-size SUVs as the company controls 64% of the market. Their position is about to get even stronger as facelifted versions of the Chevrolet Tahoe / Suburban, GMC Yukon, and Cadillac Escalade will begin arriving at dealers in the fourth quarter.

The company went on to credit a fresh product lineup that has higher profit margins than their predecessors. These vehicles include the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain as well as the larger Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia. Consumers have also embraced the value-focused Buick Envista and Chevrolet Trax.

Barra went into more detail during an earnings call, where she said “We are on track to produce and wholesale about 200,000 EVs in North America this year and make our portfolio … profit positive this quarter.” She added the ICE-powered Equinox has been a hit as average transaction prices have shot up around $6,000 and the model is attracting younger consumers.

The executive also mentioned things are heating up on the Hyundai front as the two companies are making “good progress” on specific areas of cooperation. She went onto say they’re “nearing the completion of our first definitive agreement and we expect to have something to share soon.”

The Cadillac Lyriq’s electric drivetrain and sharp styling haven’t only won it new fans in America – it’s also earned the SUV a chance of victory in the prestigious German Car Of The Year (GCOTY) competition.

Forty judges assessing entries for GCOTY 2025 named the Lyriq the best luxury vehicle over €70,000 ($76,000), making it the only US car to be in with a shot at the overall title. The result will be announced on November 13 when the 2024 winner, VW’s ID.7 electric sedan will have to vacate its throne.

Related: Nearly Half Of The 2025 NACTOY Semifinalists Are EVs

But the Lyriq has its work cut out if it’s to take the outright win. The victors in the other four categories are the Citroen e-C3/C3, which took best compact vehicle under €35k ($38k), the BMW 5-Series/i5 which was awarded best premium car under €70k, the Audi Q6/SQ6 e-tron, GCOTY’s best new energy vehicle, and the Porsche 911 GTS T-Hybrid, which scooped best performance car.

You might have noticed that each one of those cars bar the Lyriq hails from Europe, and three are German. And maybe you’re not surprised by that, assuming that proud Germans might favor their own industry. But a glance at the list of previous winners shows that the judges are open-minded when it comes to new cars.

Though the ID.7 won in 2024, the MG3, Kia EV9, and Hyundai Ioniq 6 were victorious in the compact, luxury, and new energy categories, and the Genesis GV60, Range Rover, and Ferrari 296 won rounds in 2023, the year the VW ID.Buzz took home gold. The two overall winners in 2022 and 2021 were both from the Far East: Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 and Honda’s E.

The Lyric was shortlisted for the utility category in the 2023 North American Car and Truck of the Year (NACTOY) competition alongside the Genesis GV60 and Kia EV6 but lost out to the Kia in the final reckoning.

Hundreds of 2025 Chevrolet Blazer, Blazer EV, and Equinox EV models a part of a recall across the U.S. over a critical safety issue: doors that could unexpectedly open while driving or during a crash. Safe to say, having your doors swing open mid-commute isn’t exactly a feature anyone’s asking for. The good news? GM reports that none of these vehicles have left dealership lots yet.

GM has confirmed that the vehicles in question were fitted with door strikers sourced from Brano Group A.S., which were not properly heat-treated to meet the carmaker’s hardness specifications. The result? These strikers could crack under pressure, allowing the doors to swing open when you least expect it, significantly raising the risk of injury to anyone inside.

Read: 2024 Chevy Blazer EV And Other GM SUVs Recalled Over Unexpected Door Openings

A total of 731 vehicles in the U.S. are affected by the recall. That breaks down to 513 Blazers built between August 30, 2024, and September 6, 2024, 215 Blazer EV models from the same production window, and 3 Equinox EVs manufactured between September 4, 2024, and September 5, 2024. If you’ve got one of these on order, you might want to double-check that delivery date.

Chevrolet was first alerted to a potential issue on September 6, 2024, when a quality engineer at GM’s Ramos Arizpe plant in Mexico saw a door striker fracture during routine side door adjustment.

This isn’t GM’s first rodeo with faulty door strikers on these models. Back in late December 2023, the Blazer, Blazer EV, and Equinox EV were also recalled over the same issue. At the time, GM thought that it had purged all of the faulty door strikers from their supply. However, it turns out not all of the suspect stock was removed from a warehouse used by the Mexican plant, leading to the installation of several hundred faulty strikers in new vehicles.

Fortunately, GM is not aware of any field incidents related to the defect. None of the 731 affected vehicles in the U.S.—nor the additional 124 units in Canada and Mexico—have been delivered to customers yet. Dealers have been instructed to replace all four side door strikers and attaching bolts with new properly treated parts before these vehicles ever reach showrooms.

The boss of GM’s battery department believes the U.S. can lead the world on EV batteries thanks to a strong local customer base and government policies encouraging local development and manufacturing of battery cells.

China has firmly established itself as the leader in EV batteries, in part thanks to generous government subsidies that supported the development of the industry over the past 15 years. Chinese manufacturers have also led the way with lithium-iron-phosphate batteries and control a lot of the core materials required to make them. In fact, it’s home to most of the world’s refinery capacity for materials, including cobalt, nickel sulfate, graphite, and lithium hydroxide.

Read: GM Could Use Chinese Battery Cells Built In The US By Japanese Brand

However, while speaking at The Battery Show in Detroit, GM’s vice president of batteries, Kurt Kelty, expressed optimism that the U.S. can seize global leadership on EV batteries.

“It’s a simple and pragmatic reality that the development of any new technology benefits from proximity to customers,” he said. “Today, we have those customers. We now have the customers here in the States, and we have public policies that are supportive of manufacturing cells here.”

Kelty said the U.S. has the potential to grow EV battery development and manufacturing over the coming years in a similar way to what’s happened in Asia over the past two decades. In the coming years, GM will add lithium-iron-phosphate batteries to its North American portfolio, Auto News reports.

Local manufacturing of these cells will drive down costs. Cells using this chemistry in China can cost as little as $50 per kilowatt hour, giving firms a competitive advantage.

“Once we get LFP manufacturing in the U.S. and we get the expertise about how to manufacture it, we’ll be able to drive down costs on LFP similar to how Asian companies have done in the past,” Kelty added.

GM is ditching the Ultium name for its electric vehicle architecture and associated technologies. The car manufacturer hasn’t given a reason for the change, but it likely feels it’s no longer necessary to use this branding while it grows its portfolio of EVs.

The company expects to end 2024 having built approximately 200,000 EVs in North America for the Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, and BrightDrop brands. While this is significantly fewer than the 300,000 units GM originally intended to produce this year, the company’s Ultium models are apparently getting closer to becoming profitable.

Read: An EV Is Cadillac’s Second Best-Seller In Q3

“As GM continues to expand its EV business, the company is no longer branding its electric vehicle architecture, battery and cells, or EV components with the Ultium name starting in North America,” a GM spokesperson recently told Auto News. GM will retain the Ultium name at its joint venture plants in the US.

GM started using the Ultium name in early 2020. It served as an umbrella term to refer to the company’s electric architecture as well as its traction motors, drive units, and battery packs. Current EVs based on the Ultium platform include the Acura ZDX, Buick Electra E4 and E5, Cadillac Lyriq, Cadillac Celestiq, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Chevrolet Silverado EV, and the Honda Prologue.

While speaking at GM’s investor day at its Spring Hill, Tennessee, manufacturing site, chief executive Mary Barra revealed that the company’s early investments in EVs will allow them to become profitable earlier than many had expected.

“This inflection point in EV profitability is arriving much faster than many people thought, but it’s driven by the strategy we began executing in 2018,” she revealed. Earlier in the year, GM said it was targeting positive variable profit, excluding fixed costs, for its EVs in the fourth quarter as well as mid-single-digit margins in 2025.