Commentary by Former UAW Chairman Mike Herron
I have been watching with amazement the treatment of electric vehicles by the public and even the very car builders that built them in our US plants. This criticism occurred to General Motors before with electric vehicles that once occurred to the technologically advanced EV1 made by General Motors from 1996– 1999. This was a great Vehicle. But naysayers poisoned the well on this technology. Many loved them.
The environment now is demanding change. This is about existential survival of the human race. The temperature of the earth is rising at an uncontrollable rate unless things change with gasoline vehicles. Changes will occur not out of greed or because people love electric but because we will have no other choice than to have an alternative to gas. This change is coming and keeping current Gas technology will not be an option — whether or not the replacement is electricity, or some fancy new long range battery or potentially hydrogen fuel cells whose by-product is water and oxygen.
It saddens and shocks me to hear the number of people talk negatively about electric vehicles. Especially people who work in plants that make these vehicles or people whose very job security depends on the success of the products they build.
I know I’ve heard a lot of discussion about why people do not like electrical vehicles but most have never been in one!
I’ve heard people say that they are too expensive. The prices of the new Lyriqs start out at $57,775 and are high but they are on their way down. Every New vehicle — electric or gas is expensive. This is not the workers fault, labor is less than 10% even under the 2023 UAW- GM contract. Just like any new technology starts out higher and comes down— this always occurs. Volume corrects this! Average savings annually from using an electric vehicle versus gasoline is at least $770 a year at current gas prices around three dollars a gallon.
Next I’ve heard that total mileage span is a fear. The original EV 1 had a total mileage span of about 45 miles prior to recharging the battery. The new Cadillac Lyriq has a range of 307 miles —before a recharge is required and that span is increasing as batteries are improving quickly.
I’ve heard electric naysayers comment that batteries take too long to charge. Again the timeframe ranges from 15 minutes to 1.5 hours depending on the Kilowatts of the charging equipment you use. Again,this timeframe has diminished significantly as EVs are developing. Infrastructure to charge your vehicle must be installed everywhere and this is happening daily in partnerships between the Federal Government and private businesses that we all use. Clearly, the access to infrastructure to charge your electric vehicles will be an issue if they do not keep up with aggressive installation plans. Car dealerships are now installing car charging stations at your home, which is very convenient and beats looking around for gas station.
I’ve heard about the expense of Battery Replacement. The price for new batteries is coming down tremendously. Tennessee has just constructed one of the largest battery regeneration businesses in the US. They will recycle these batteries — lowering costs just like they do car batteries!
Electric vehicles are well-made, safe and very sleek. The technology that they offer is unlike any other time in the history of the automotive industry.
At this same time, the United States of America is drilling more oil than we ever have —lowering the price of gas. The US is setting records with regard to drilling oil .( 2023 record was over 13.1 million barrels drilled daily in US.)This extends or elongates the adoption curve of electric vehicles. The more expensive the gas is more likely people are to look for alternatives. I’m not suggesting higher gas prices. I’m just saying that this is fact and common sense.
If you do not like electric vehicles, that’s OK. This is what’s great about America is that we have many choices as customers. But I don’t think it’s necessary to bash electric vehicles especially if that’s how you put your dinner on the kitchen table and supports your family. You could be talking yourself right into a LAYOFF. People listen to the members in our plant that are building our world class quality products, and if they fail to endorse their own products, then clearly, why should the electric vehicle customers buy them? You need to tout the virtues of our great products ( both gas and electric) even if they are not in your budget or you don’t like electric vehicles for yourself or are pissed that the company wrongly utilized your emergency vacation during the severe weather contrary to our new national agreement. 
Please keep in mind that the reason that the Spring Hill plant was chosen to build electric vehicles because of our highly skilled workforce who can deliver on new concepts(Saturn, Hybrids, new GM products ect. Plus this would make Spring Hill Manufacturing the most diverse plant in the GM family in America
. We can build both internal combustion engines, electric batteries, ICE vehicles, and electric propulsion vehicles meaning Spring Hill can make whatever the customer wants.
Please be a product Ambassador for your great plant and the many products we have coming and teach our new employees to do so as well.
The General Motors Company is on the brink of retiring a generation of car builders ( congratulations and you will love it!) and hiring between 1000
