Mary Barra has unfinished business at GM

• With the transformation on a slower-than-expected trajectory, it's becoming increasingly likely that GM's first female CEO won't be the one to see through the changes she set in motion.

Reality check: Barra, GM's second-longest-serving CEO behind Alfred Sloan, doesn't sound like someone whose departure is imminent.

• "There's so much change happening right now," she told reporters at an Automotive Press Association event this week. "I'm an electrical engineer by degree, so spending time on everything we're doing, from a software perspective, it's a lot of fun."

Between the lines: Speculation about CEO succession has been building for months after GM hired Sterling Anderson, co-founder of self-driving company Aurora Innovation, as chief product officer — a new role with broad responsibilities.

• Last fall, in a move that raised eyebrows, Barra sold a big chunk of her GM stock, a transaction later attributed to pre-planned triggers and moves associated with a family trust.
• Then in December, Bloomberg painted Anderson's mission to bring cutting-edge software and self-driving technology to GM vehicles as a test for the CEO job.

Driving the news: Pressed this week about Anderson's CEO potential, all Barra would say is "the board makes that decision, not me, but I would say we have several people at General Motors who are very, very talented."

• In a statement, GM said any discussion of a future role for Anderson is "premature and speculative."

As CEO, Barra has deftly steered GM through a myriad of crises, including the 2014 ignition switch recall crisis, COVID-19 and disrupted supply chains.

• Under her leadership, GM has generated strong financial results even in the face of those challenges, and GM stock is up 62% over the past 12 months.
• Barra says it's because investors finally recognize GM's agility in a changing world.

Barra's legacy, however, will likely hinge on her ability to deliver on GM's transformation.

• Back in 2021, she said GM would double its annual revenue by 2030, driven by huge growth in EVs and software-enabled services.

State of play

Here's where things stand on her biggest bets:

Electric vehicles: GM said it would phase out gasoline vehicles in the U.S. by 2035, but last year, EVs accounted for less than 6% of its mix.

• Now, after the Trump administration relaxed tailpipe regulations, Barra acknowledges, "We are on a different path."

• "I still think, fundamentally, it is our destination — because we feel when there's a robust charging infrastructure and they're affordable, and we've gotten battery costs down, people will choose [an EV], because it's a better vehicle."
• In the meantime, she says GM remains committed to EVs and continues to invest in cheaper batteries.

Autonomous vehicles: GM was seen as a leader in autonomous driving technology until October 2023, when one of its Cruise robotaxis seriously injured a pedestrian in San Francisco.

• GM shut down the robotaxi business in late 2024, and shifted its AV focus to personal vehicles.
• Now GM says an "eyes-off" autonomous driving system will debut on the Cadillac Escalade IQ electric SUV in 2028, but Barra isn't saying when the technology will be everywhere.
• "I started predicting when we would have level 4, or true autonomy, and I got it wrong, you know, back in the 2016 timeframe. So I'm not making predictions."

Connected vehicles: GM forecast $20 billion to $25 billion a year in revenue from software and subscription services like OnStar and Super Cruise by the end of the decade.

• As of the third quarter of 2025, it booked $6 billion.

The bottom line: Progress isn't linear, Barra often says.

• Asked what she still wants to accomplish at GM, she replied: "I think we're just getting started..."
• "I want to make sure this company is great 50 years, 100 years from now, and [to] set the foundation for that."