Mary Barra, senior vice president of global product development told media attending the GM Electrification Experience in San Francisco: ‘The plug-in offers a unique opportunity to change the way people commute/ Plug-based solutions will play a significant role in our technology portfolio going forward.’

Experiences from the Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric vehicle are now being used to develop the Cadillac ELR, which will share the Chevrolet’s drivetrain. This has also helped with the development of the Chevrolet Spark EV, which goes on sale in selected markets in the United States and South Korea next year with others to follow.

‘What started out as a technology proof point has turned into a real-world starting point to push EV technology further and faster than we thought possible five years ago,’ Barra added. ‘We’ll meet requirements set by certain regulatory agencies, but we’re not building the Spark EV to check a regulatory box.’