General Motors operates manufacturing plants in eight countries. Its four core automobile brands are Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac. In January 2021, GM announced plans to end production and sales of vehicles using internal combustion engines, including hybrid vehicles and plug-in hybrids 2035, as part of its plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040. GM offers more flexible-fuel vehicles, which can operate on either E85 ethanol fuel or gasoline, or any blend of both, than any other automaker.

 

 

The company’s milestones:

1908 – Head of Buick Motor Company, Williams C. Durant orchestrates the creation of the General Motors Company.

1911 – Durant’s overzealous spending habits lead to his forced exit by the board. He would manage to get back into the company after acquiring a great deal of shares, after involvement with the Chevrolet brothers.

1916 -The company is reincorporated a General Motors Corporation.

1920 –  GM takes over Cadillac, Buick, Oldsmobile, Chevrolet and Pontiac.

 

Williams C. Durant

 

1921 – Thomas Midgley Jr., an engineer for GM, discovered tetraethyllead (leaded gasoline) as an antiknock agent, and GM patented the compound because ethanol could not be patented. This led to the development of higher compression engines resulting in more power and efficiency.

1926 – The company introduced the Pontiac brand and established the General Motors Group Insurance Program to provide life insurance to its employees.

1920s thru early 1930s – General Motors expands with overseas assets like Opel, Vauxhall, and also acquired the company that would later become GMC trucks.

1931 -The company is the world’s largest auto conglomerate.

1939 – The company founded Motors Insurance Corporation and entered the vehicle insurance market. The same year, GM introduced the Hydramatic, the world’s first affordable and successful automatic transmission, for the 1940 Oldsmobile.

 

 

1962 – GM introduced the first turbocharged engine in the world for a car in the Oldsmobile Cutlass Turbo-Jetfire.

1972 – GM produced the first rear-wheel anti-lock braking system for two models: the Toronado and Eldorado.

1987 – In conjunction with AeroVironment, GM built the Sunraycer, which won the inaugural World Solar Challenge and was a showcase of advanced technology.

1990 – GM debuted the General Motors EV1 (Impact) concept, a battery electric vehicle, at the LA Auto Show. It was the first car with zero emissions marketed in the US in over three decades.

In May 2004 – GM delivered the first full-sized pickup truck hybrid vehicles, the 1/2-ton Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra trucks.

2006 – GM introduced a bright yellow gas cap on its vehicles to remind drivers that cars can operate using E85 ethanol fuel.

 

 

2008 – General Motors committed to engineering half of its manufacturing plants to be landfill-free.

2016 – GM rolled out its first affordable, long-range all-electric car, the Chevrolet Bolt EV, with 200 miles of range.

2018 – GMC CarbonPro Bed was introduced. The first carbon fiber composite pickup bed which uses a thermoplastic carbon fiber preform to mold the box and deliver best-in-class dent, scratch and corrosion resistance.

2020 – GM R&D developed a new aluminum casting alloy and a die cast magnesium beltline reinforcement which are used on the C8 Corvette.

According to thestreet.com; en.wikipedia.org. Source of photos: internet