General MotorsMary Barra (Mary Barra), chairman and chief executive, said the company aims to lead the electric car market, beating other major automakers and Musk's Tesla。
Asked about Musk's claim to be at the forefront of electric car development, Barra replied that she "always takes every competitor seriously". She stressed GM's goal of being "a leader in electric vehicles" and said the company had many market advantages.
Specifically, she referred to GM's 20-year development value in commercial electric vehicles and highlighted GM's brand advantages from best-selling models such as Hummers.
Barra also said in an interview that she plans to keep GM's battery division within the company, rather than spinning it off as a separate entity.
With regard to the future of the battery division, Barra stressed the advantage of maintaining in-house production. Having the technology and the ability to sell batteries to other companies allows GM to accelerate the creation of value for the company as a whole, she said.
In addition, commenting on whether the company would accept bitcoin as a method of payment, Barra said she would let the market decide. She points out that "nothing can stop" the company from adopting a cryptocurrency, and GM will basically let customers take the lead on the issue.
GM announced earlier Wednesday that it would significantly increase its investment in electric and self-driving cars. By 2025, the company will increase spending on electric and self-driving cars to $35 billion, an increase of 30 per cent from the plan announced at the end of last year.