What Are the Hurdles to Full Vehicle Electrification? [Technology Leaders]

The future of passenger vehicle propulsion is electric. This has been suggested and projected before, and today this is being pursued with greater enthusiasm than ever. No one has a functional crystal ball, but, based on many industry indicators, full electrification of the passengervehicle propulsion system is the future, and General Motors (GM) is committed to it. The only questions are when will this be done and what are the hurdles? These industry indicators include the unprecedented R&D expenditures on battery electric vehicles (BEVs), particularly on battery development, utilities? emphasis on grid compatibility with BEVs, and charging station proliferation. In addition, customer acceptance has been on the increase, and legislative urgency has been mounting globally.