Company Overview
General Motors Company is engaged in the production, design, and sale of trucks, crossovers, cars, and automotive parts, and provides software-enabled services and subscriptions across the globe. The company operates through 4 key segments: GM North America (GMNA), GM International (GMI), GM Cruise, and GM Financial. The company offers products through brands such as Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, Baojun, Jiefang, and Wuling. GM sells trucks, crossovers, and cars to dealerships for consumer retail sales and to fleet customers, including daily rental car companies, commercial fleet operators, leasing firms, and
GM provides a suite of connected safety, security, and mobility services for fleet and retail customers. These include features such as stolen vehicle assistance, roadside support, automatic crash response, dealer maintenance notifications, remote door unlocking, turn-by-turn navigation, vehicle location tracking, hands-free calling, and smart driver functionality. The company offers connectivity packages that provide remote vehicle access via a mobile app, on-demand vehicle diagnostics, 4G LTE wireless connectivity, and connected navigation.
General Motors has a strong global presence with manufacturing operations spanning across several regions, including Arabia, Brazil, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, China, Egypt, South Korea, Japan, Mexico, Germany, India, Israel, the U.K., the U.S., Switzerland, Norway, and the United Arab Emirates. As of December 31, 2024, the company employed approximately 90,000 hourly workers (55%) and 72,000 salaried employees (45%). Additionally, nearly all of GM’s hourly employees in the U.S. (around 47,000) are based in the U.S.
Facts About General Motors (GM)
- Founded on September 16, 1908, by William C. Durant in Flint, Michigan.
- Headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States.
- Initially began as a holding company for Buick and later acquired other carmakers.
- Known for its popular brands including Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, and Buick.
- Was the world’s largest automaker for much of the 20th century.
- Introduced the world’s first electric self-starter in 1912 through its Cadillac division.
- Played a major role in U.S. industrial output during World War II, producing aircraft and tanks.
- Filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2009 and re-emerged as a reorganized company later that year.
- Currently focuses on electric vehicles (EVs) under its “zero crashes, zero emissions, zero congestion” vision.
- Owns and operates over 100 manufacturing and assembly facilities globally.
- Launched the Chevrolet Bolt EV as one of the first affordable long-range electric cars.
- Invested heavily in autonomous vehicle research through its subsidiary, Cruise LLC.
- Has made sustainability commitments to transition to an all-electric future by 2035.
- GM’s OnStar system was among the first in-vehicle telematics and safety technologies.
History of General Motors Company
- 1908: Founded under the leadership of William C. Durant.
- Acquired Rapid Motor Vehicle Company, which later evolved into GMC.
- 1909: Acquired Cadillac Motor and Oakland Motor Car Company, which was subsequently renamed Pontiac.
- 1912: Introduced the electric self-starter to the automotive market.
- 1916: Headquartered in Detroit, the company was reincorporated and renamed General Motors Corporation.
- 1918: Chevrolet Auto Company and Delco Products became part of GM, with Chevrolet becoming a division.
- More than 8,500 trucks were sold to the U.S. Army for World War I use.
- 1919: The Fisher Body Company and Frigidaire joined GM (Frigidaire was sold in 1979).
- 1925: The Yellow Truck & Coach Manufacturing Co. (now GMC Truck & Coach Division) was established, expanding GM’s American divisions and subsidiaries.
- GM expanded internationally by acquiring Vauxhall Motors.
- 1936-1937: A prolonged strike at GM plants led the company to sign its first agreement with the United Auto Workers (UAW) union.
- 1942-1945: Manufactured vehicles and weapons for the U.S. military during World War II.
- 1984: Acquired Electronic Data Systems Corporation, founded by Ross Perot.
- Launched the Saturn division, using highly automated plants to yield subcompact cars to compete with Japanese imports.
- 2000: Became the sole owner of Saab Automobile AB.
- 2010: Acquired AmeriCredit to boost vehicle sales through auto financing solutions
- 2012: Officially became the world’s top automobile manufacturer.
- 2014: Mary Barra became the first female CEO of a major automaker.
- 2016: Acquired Sidecar Technologies to enhance transportation services under the Maven brand.
- Purchased Cruise Automation Inc. for $1 billion to accelerate its self-driving car initiatives.
- 2017: Sold Opel and Vauxhall to PSA Group, the France-based maker of Peugeot and Citroen vehicles.
- Acquired Strobe, Inc. to develop LIDAR technology for autonomous vehicles.
- 2018: Honda invested $2.75 billion in GM’s self-driving car unit.
- 2019: GM and LG Chem announced a $2.3 billion partnership to build a battery factory for electric cars.
- 2020: Honda and General Motors signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to form a strategic alliance in North America.
(Source: General Motors Company Website)
Wholesale Vehicle Sales by Automotive Segment
Financial Analysis
Group Revenues
- In 2024, General Motors (GM) generated USD 187,442 million in annual revenue, reflecting sustained growth fueled by strong demand across its vehicle portfolio, expanding electric vehicle (EV) sales, and solid performance in key global markets.
- In 2023, GM reported USD 171,842 million in revenue, driven by improved supply chain efficiency, higher production output, and rising consumer adoption of the company’s new-generation EV and hybrid models.
- In 2022, GM posted USD 156,735 million in revenue, marking the start of its large-scale transition toward electrification, autonomous technologies, and digital mobility services, setting the stage for long-term growth.
(Source: General Motors Annual Report)
R&D Expenditure
- Research and development expenses, which are recognized as incurred in automotive and other cost of sales, amounted to USD 9.2 billion, USD 9.9 billion, and USD 9.8 billion for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2033, and 2022,
(Source: GM Annual Report)
Business Revenue
(Source: GM Annual Report)
Recent Developments
- In August 2025, the company formed a collaboration with Hyundai Motor Company to share common platforms and develop distinctive interiors and exteriors that align with their respective brand identities.
- In June 2025, the company invested approximately $4 billion into its domestic manufacturing facilities to boost U.S. production of both gasoline and electric vehicles.
- In February 2025, the company acquired GM Cruise Holdings LLC to integrate Cruise technology into the Super Cruise assisted driving system, a software platform enabling hands-free driving on 750,000 miles of roads across North America.
- In December 2024, General Motors entered into a partnership with LG Energy Solution.
- In September 2024, the company signed an agreement with Hyundai Motor Company to leverage their complementary scale and capabilities, aiming to reduce costs and deliver a broader array of vehicles and technologies to customers more rapidly.
- In November 2022, the company reached an agreement with Vale Canada Limited to support its rapidly growing electric vehicle production demands in North America.
- In November 2022, the company partnered with Nel Hydrogen US to help expedite the industrialization of Nel’s proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer platform.
- In October 2022, the company collaborated with Queensland Pacific Metals for nickel production in Australia to accelerate the nickel output at Queensland Pacific Metals’ proposed Townsville Energy Chemicals Hub (TECH) Project in Northern Australia
(Source: General Motors Press Releases)
Fun Facts About General Motors (GM)
- Founder William Durant never finished high school and began as a carriage salesman.
- GM built the Lunar Rover Vehicle used in NASA’s Apollo 15 mission in 1971.
- The company once owned over 40 automotive brands across the globe.
- GM’s slogan “A car for every purse and purpose” reflected its strategy of offering vehicles for all budgets.
- The Chevrolet Suburban is the longest continuously used automotive nameplate in history.
- GM introduced the first mass-produced automatic transmission, the Hydra-Matic, in 1939.
- During WWII, GM produced nearly 900 million rounds of ammunition and thousands of military vehicles.
- GM engineers helped design and build the guidance system for the Apollo space program.
- The company was the first automaker to open a design center solely focused on electric and autonomous vehicles.
- GM’s futuristic concept cars, like the Firebird and EV1, have influenced modern car design.
- In the 1950s, GM employed more than 600,000 people, making it one of the largest employers in the world.
- GM has repeatedly been recognized for innovation, design, and manufacturing excellence over its long history.
