GM’s Barra: Electric Vehicles Are Still the Future

In an interview marking the company’s first day in its new headquarters, GM’s CEO talked about tariffs, regulatory changes, competition from China, her daily driver and more.

January 13, 2026

Chris Clonts

General Motors CEO Mary Barra, right, speaks with Reuters automotive reporter Kalea Hall at the automakers’ new headquarters in downtown Detroit. (Chris Clonts)

On the eve of the Detroit Auto Show, and on “move-in day” for the company’s new downtown Detroit headquarters, CEO Mary Barra said that despite the headwinds that have built up against EVs in America, an all-electric future is still at the end of the company’s long-term roadmap.

“Our destination is to get to the all-EV future we've been talking about,” she said. “Once we have a robust charging infrastructure, I think people are naturally going to pick EVs because instant torque, it opens up new design language and never having to go to the gas station.”

She said that most one- or two-vehicle families are very rational about their vehicle decisions, and that the lack of infrastructure is still a pain point. “It will take longer without the incentives,” she said, referring to the former federal tax rebates for purchasing EVs. “But I still think we’ll get there over time.

Responding to a question from Reuters reporter Kalea Hall, who facilitated the chat, about the hybrid and plug-in hybrid technology being rapidly pursued by other companies, Barra said the company was exploring all its options while trying to discern what the environment will be like after the next U.S. presidential election in 2028. She sounded skeptical of HEV and PHEV technology, saying EVs will always be the goal. “You probably remember a decade ago, hybrids went up in sales, but almost as fast as (market) share grew, it went back down. And we also know today with plug-in hybrids is most people don’t plug them in,” she said.

Unlike some executives, Barra did not shy away from talking about the Trump administration’s see-saw tariff policy that has befuddled an industry for whom regulatory stability is a building block for steady growth. In fact, she said she was proud of how flexible the company has been.

“The minute we heard the word tariff (in 2024), we started planning and looked at what were no-regret moves that we could do depending on what happened,” she said. “And so, the day the tariffs were announced, we already had a playbook that we had done quite a bit of work on. With the tariffs and the administration, we ask for clarity.”

Barra said that despite the changes, the administration was willing to listen. “They worked really hard to understand the auto industry, to do what is right to help us get to a more level playing field globally,” she said.

On the prospect of Chinese EVs competing in the U.S. market, Barra said GM isn’t more or less concerned than it is about any competitor. “As we look at competing with any auto company – Chinese, European, Korean, Japanese – we're always looking to say, how do we drive the most innovation, the right technology, the right package that's affordable?” She said she liked what GM President Mark Reuss, who she lauded as an executive with excellent sense of product, had said on the topic. “We’re not going to just copy. We’re going to innovate our way into a leading position,” she said, citing the affordability of the Chevy Bolt and Equinox EVs.

She said the company is working to be more efficient and quick-to-market with software architecture improvements, and that getting the vehicle and tech sides of the company to understand each other has been key. “It's spending time together and recognizing, whether you’re brilliant at software or a designer, a healthy respect,” for how difficult the other person’s job is. “Together, we can do something great. We’re always working on having a culture where everybody values that work.”

Asked what vehicle she drives the most at present, Barra said she really likes her Hummer EV SUV. “Four-wheel steer is just one of the greatest features,” she said. “That vehicle’s pretty big, but we can just turn on a dime and park anywhere. I always say I feel a little bit like a badass soccer mom.”

Barra was promoted to CEO in 2014 and has had the second-longest tenure since the first CEO, Alfred P. Sloan, had the job for 23 years until 1946. She said that as an electrical engineer by training, she is interested every day in what the company is doing. “From a software perspective, it’s a lot of fun,” she said. “I think we’re just getting started.”