GM SHOWS 13 ELECTRIC VEHICLES AS IT TRIES TO RUN WITH TESLA

General Motors, trying to refashion itself as a futuristic company with technology to compete against Tesla, rolled out plans for 13 new electric vehicles during the next five years.

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The company touted an exclusive new battery technology that could propel some of the vehicles as far as 400 miles (644 kilometers) on a single charge as it tries to capture electric vehicle enthusiasm that has brought wild growth to rival Tesla’s share price.

At an event for investors, dealers and analysts at its sprawling technical center in the Detroit suburb of Warren, Michigan, GM executives said the new vehicles would be built using modular chassis and drive systems for manufacturing simplicity.

GM will be able to build trucks, cars, SUVs and even an autonomous shuttle based on the new systems, the company said. The global vehicles will include affordable transportation, work trucks, luxury SUVs and performance vehicles. CEO Mary Barra said GM will be able to build at a large scale, similar to its profitable full-size truck business.

“We want to put everyone in an EV, and we have what it takes to do it,” she said at a presentation for investors.