YouSaid · the spoken record

Mary Barra

lines on the record: 73
first: 2025-10-22
most recent: 2025-10-22
sittings or episodes: 1
sources: podcast

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“And I think Sterling makes a really great point. So we are regularly looking at how do we make every part of our business more efficient. We don't control what the government policies are. It's evident by what's changed this year. So we just need to have the best product.”
2025-10-22 · Decoder with Nilay Patel · Why GM will give you Gemini — but not CarPlay · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Yeah, a couple of quick things. As Mary said, as we benchmark across these vehicles, if we strip away the subsidies and the other support that the Chinese government is providing to many of these players, we compare favorably on most dimensions with REVs. In particular, we've got some work that we're doing around a next generation electric vehicle and electric vehicle architecture that compares very favorably to what we see. I'm impressed by what they've done. I'll start with that. I think we don't want to be resting on our laurels that way. I think there's more that we can be doing, but we're on it. We recognize very acutely kind of the speed at which an industry that is so heavily subsidized tends to move. And we don't intend to wait for it.”
2025-10-22 · Decoder with Nilay Patel · Why GM will give you Gemini — but not CarPlay · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“In this country, the safety standards are different. There's different emission standards. And there's also standards and requirements around connectivity. Like I mentioned, for instance, autonomy in China, you need to use a system that's Chinese-based because the country actually controls the maps. So there's also regulations or executive orders. I can't remember exactly, but there's rules we have to follow of what we're able to use in country. So there's already differences. So just to look at from what the offering is and not understanding what the rules of the different markets are going either way, I think is a very big simplification. And I don't know, Sterling, if you have anything to add with what you saw at your time at Tesla or just even when you were at Aurora and understanding what markets you could compete.”
2025-10-22 · Decoder with Nilay Patel · Why GM will give you Gemini — but not CarPlay · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Our business for China. Already, you have to use technology in China for China because that's the requirement in China. So already there's a little bit of a fence around that. There also right now is an incredible price war going on. There needs to be a sorting. You can't have over 100 different OEMs in a country trying to compete, especially now as they're competing on price. And I think if you read what's happening in country right now, there's a lot of change happening. I would also say there's overcapacity in China, which is causing, you know, I think from a business perspective, exporting to other markets, but they're also doing it in many cases highly subsidized. So we are regularly benchmarking our Chinese competitors like we do global competitors, understanding where they're putting features, where they're not, what they're adding. But I would also say we've got to meet the regulations.”
2025-10-22 · Decoder with Nilay Patel · Why GM will give you Gemini — but not CarPlay · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“It's not really complex. It actually simplified it, and we get what is so important in the auto industry is scale. Because once you have scale, that's how you get to give the customer more than they think they would get for a price point because we're leveraging General Motor Scale. And I'm very proud that we sell more vehicles in this country than anyone else. We're extremely strong in South America. We have a great business in the Middle East. We still have a significant business in China. And leveraging that scale is one of the things that allows us to keep vehicles affordable or give people more functionality than they expect.”
2025-10-22 · Decoder with Nilay Patel · Why GM will give you Gemini — but not CarPlay · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Well, I would say, first of all, Sterling and I just came from design and we were looking at a platform that's going to have both a Cadillac and a Chevrolet. And, you know, so there's the brands in the studio, they have people dedicated to Chevrolet and then a different team that's dedicated to Cadillac. But then we also have product planning people that are looking at what is the technology roadmap, what again, what features and functionality needs to be on that vehicle, how are we going to make sure that we achieve how we want to go to market from a price perspective, you know, getting back to that affordability or that true luxury. And so, but it's done with people, for instance, the brand is managed for the globe as well. So it's not like a Chevy in South America has a total different team managing it than a Chevrolet in the United States or in another part of the world.”
2025-10-22 · Decoder with Nilay Patel · Why GM will give you Gemini — but not CarPlay · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Working together to make sure we deliver on that. And then we do have regional sales and marketing team that really understand the customer in each of our markets. So at Broad Brush at the most senior level, that's, I would say, the way the company is organized.”
2025-10-22 · Decoder with Nilay Patel · Why GM will give you Gemini — but not CarPlay · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“I think we're more functionally, and Sterling is responsible for our products globally as the chief product officer, because we leverage that to get the scale. But then we also understand for the different brands what we need to do to make sure we're delivering on that brand promise, whether it's True Luxury with a Cadillac value, but the unique American heritage that Chevrolet has. Buick is premium and has been doing very well in growing. And then GMC, which is a very premium truck. So each of our four brands are very specific for what they mean to the customer. So we make sure when we do a portfolio of vehicles or when we're doing, for instance, full-size trucks that we understand what it needs to be, means to be a Chevy, means to be a GMC or a Cadillac. We look at all of that. And so it's really a cross-functional team.”
2025-10-22 · Decoder with Nilay Patel · Why GM will give you Gemini — but not CarPlay · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Level segments in both ice and EV, as well as we're doing, I think, really strong work at the top end. And we keep seeing some consumers are saying they want a more premium truck. They want a more premium SUV. And so we're meeting that demand when you think about a Denali on the Yukon or the Cadillac Escalate and Escalate IQ. But then we also have great vehicles that are very affordable. So we're a full portfolio manufacturer and I'm very proud that we.”
2025-10-22 · Decoder with Nilay Patel · Why GM will give you Gemini — but not CarPlay · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Well, that's why I'm extremely proud of what we have from a Chevrolet perspective, whether you're looking at the Chevrolet tracks and trailblazer that our internal combustion engine vehicles and start at around 20,000 dollars and then go up, or you're looking at now the bullet, we are bringing back that we just announced will be at that 30,000 level, the equinox is mid-30s. So I think we're offering great choice for the consumer in a very affordable price range with great vehicles that have beautiful design, incredible safety. I mean, if you look at the screen on the equinox EV, it's a large screen with great safety features. And so I'd look at it and say, I understand what the broad industry trends are, but when I look at it from a general motors perspective, we're doing extremely well in these entry logo.”
2025-10-22 · Decoder with Nilay Patel · Why GM will give you Gemini — but not CarPlay · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“I mean, we're looking at how do we maintain our focus on affordability? How do we continue to drive efficiency? How do we comply with tariffs to make sure that we aren't paying a big tariff bill? And then we're also continuing to communicate with the administration and members of the cabinet so they understand some of the unintended consequences of some of the policies. And I have to say, they've been incredibly receptive to and really have become students of the industry to make sure they understand the ramifications and they've made adjustments to make sure we're working toward having strong manufacturing in this country and having a level playing field.”
2025-10-22 · Decoder with Nilay Patel · Why GM will give you Gemini — but not CarPlay · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Change was about consumer choice. We want to just do great vehicles that people choose, and that's why I still say EVs are a North Star. And I've had many conversations with the administration and with the president talking about that I fundamentally believe EVs will continue to grow over time, albeit a little bit more slowly because we don't have the consumer tax credit anymore, but because they're great vehicles.”
2025-10-22 · Decoder with Nilay Patel · Why GM will give you Gemini — but not CarPlay · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Even for years, I've been saying, I want to get enough EVs out there that are great EVs that a consumer chooses it because they love it and it's the car they want to drive. Once you get into regulations driving consumer behavior, you're already in a difficult place. So yes, has a lot happened this year? Absolutely. But I think it's what we do and respond. It's, you know, we responded to COVID. We responded to the semiconductor shortage. And I'm really proud of the team. This has been some change, but we were going to need change regardless because the regulatory environment was getting in front of the consumer. And largely the charging infrastructure hadn't built up as much as I think people thought it would be or where it would advance by the time some of these regulations kicked in. So to me, I look at tariffs as one about a level playing field and having a strong manufacturing capability in this country. I think the regulatory”
2025-10-22 · Decoder with Nilay Patel · Why GM will give you Gemini — but not CarPlay · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“We are talking a lot to the administration on many aspects, on making sure that we have a strong manufacturing base in this country, making sure that we have strong automotive companies, American automotive companies, getting a level playing field. When you look at the tariff, what's happening in tariffs, I've long said let us have a level playing field and we're compete, but we have not had a level playing field with many countries for many, many years. And so as you make those changes, yes, it can be disruptive and we're making adjustments so we can compete in that market. When you look at the change from a regulatory environment, again, we don't set those changes. We just try to help people understand it was very clear that Trump administration felt strongly about wanting consumers to choose versus being regulated into having to buy a certain vehicle. I'm a big believer in consumer choice.”
2025-10-22 · Decoder with Nilay Patel · Why GM will give you Gemini — but not CarPlay · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Well, again, I think it's too soon to tell. And I've been in this job too long to make predictions like that. We'll see. We're well positioned either way. But I think an important point is even in this period over the last two years, General Motors was taking share. We were growing share and continuing to have vehicles that were highly rated year after year and model after model. So again, we're well positioned. We'll meet the customer where they are, but I don't think that it's dramatically going to change. I think our internal combustion engine vehicle business has been important. We're still on a journey to get to like profitability from an EV perspective. So we're going to continue on that journey and we're investing in the technology that takes cost out of the vehicle while taking nothing away from the customer. So we're going to be in a good position there as well.”
2025-10-22 · Decoder with Nilay Patel · Why GM will give you Gemini — but not CarPlay · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Well, and to your point, Sterling, we have already seen with our consumer feedback, our customer feedback, that once they own an EV because of those benefits, they very much are likely to buy another EV. But we're still in early days. And again, I think we're going to see as charging infrastructure gets more broadly or more widespread across the country. I think we're going to continue to see EV adoption grow. But the beauty, the great thing, or the beautiful thing from a general motors perspective, is we've got a vehicle, whatever they choose. And I think that puts us in a very unique position as we move forward.”
2025-10-22 · Decoder with Nilay Patel · Why GM will give you Gemini — but not CarPlay · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“If I can add one thought there, and Nila, you're now in a Vistic, so getting a little more of this experience with some of these cars. For many getting over the hump of that kind of initial activation energy of being comfortable with an EV, being comfortable with the range, being getting comfortable with setting up level two charging in their home and these other things, I think there is incremental value to, as you say, kind of the penetration that we get in the second-hand market for people that get comfortable with these vehicles. They are better cars. They're better on a number of dimensions. And as that comfort grows, I do hope that it's value accretive to kind of future purchases.”
2025-10-22 · Decoder with Nilay Patel · Why GM will give you Gemini — but not CarPlay · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Well, first, I would say I don't think we played games with residuals. I mean, General Motors has been very disciplined for more than a decade about understanding what pricing does and when you make dramatic changes in pricing, what that does to the residuals. And then it takes almost a new generation of that vehicle to get the residuals to be where they're at. So we manage that very, very carefully because we want to make sure the people who buy our vehicles keep that value now when someone leases that then becomes the leaser or for, in our case, many of our vehicles are bought through GM Financial. But we look at that as well because it's still something very important. I mean, generally what we see, there's a new car buyer and then there's people who buy, use vehicles. And so we're just going to have to see what the equation is. But I think one of the things you're getting at is the consumer is very rational.”
2025-10-22 · Decoder with Nilay Patel · Why GM will give you Gemini — but not CarPlay · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“One of the things we made an adjustment already was the fact that we were planning to have one of our factories in Lake Orient, Michigan be an electric plant. And when we looked at the shift and what's happening with tariffs, we decided that we were going to expand the capacity because right now in some, for instance, full-size utilities, we can't build enough. The demand is so strong. And so we're going to use that plant. So once you make a change like that, that's something that already has happened. I don't think we're going to know for sure what true EV demand is until next year because like you and many others, there was definitely a pull ahead for people who wanted to be able to have access to the $7,500 tax credit. So we'll see potentially a little bit lower in the fourth quarter. We don't know yet. And as we get into next year, we're going to see that. But again, when you talk about $7,500 on a vehicle, that's pretty substantial.”
2025-10-22 · Decoder with Nilay Patel · Why GM will give you Gemini — but not CarPlay · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Me ask you about that specifically. Obviously, the tax credit going away, it drove a lot of EV adoption. I am one of those people. I rushed and made sure that I bought this car before that tax credit went away. I'll tell you the dealer I bought my car for. He gave me a great deal. And he told me I will move as many EVs as I can because that's how I get allocations on gas powered escalades. And in particular, I think the CTSV Blackwing. That's the thing he wanted. He's like, I got to move this many EVs to get allocations on that car where I'm going to make a lot of money. That's all changing, right? That table has been flipped, the tax credit's gone away. We don't know what the market's going to do. Are you taking the $1.6 billion charge preemptively? Or have you already seen the change such that you're taking that charge?”
2025-10-22 · Decoder with Nilay Patel · Why GM will give you Gemini — but not CarPlay · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Would say, first of all, it's being very customer focused and making sure we have great products with the right design, the right quality, the right features, performance, the right software and services that we can put on top of that, that customers want to buy. So we start there. And that's where we want to head. From an EV perspective, we still believe in EVs, and I consider them to be our North Star. But clearly, when you have a dramatic shift that we're seeing in the regulatory environment in the United States and potentially other places, as well as a very substantial change in the consumer tax credit, that's going to change buyer behavior. When you think about vehicles, they're either the most important or the second most important purchase that a customer makes. I mean, it's very significant, and we get to be a part of that with our consumer. So as we look at these changes, we need to make adjustments. But we're going to meet the customer.”
2025-10-22 · Decoder with Nilay Patel · Why GM will give you Gemini — but not CarPlay · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“So, we'll come to that as well. But Mary, I want to start with GM. And some of these bets that you've been making for a while now, I would say that it's been almost five years that you've been aggressively positioning GM for an electric and autonomous future. Just today, though, GM announced a $1.6 billion charge in third quarter against changes in the market, falling EV sales. So I'm curious, just big picture, how would you describe where you want GM to be and how far you are along on that journey and how things have changed in ways you were expecting and not expecting?”
2025-10-22 · Decoder with Nilay Patel · Why GM will give you Gemini — but not CarPlay · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT
“Well, we've been pretty busy, so I think you captured most of it, but I would say in the midst of all of that, we have a great product portfolio of both internal combustion engine vehicles and electric vehicles. And the customers are responding very well to it. So, you know, one of the things our team has developed over the last handful of years is the ability to be very resilient and agile to respond to all these challenges. And so I'm really proud of the team. I'm proud of the vehicles and the services we have today and what we're going to talk about is where we're headed. So it's an exciting time at General Motors.”
2025-10-22 · Decoder with Nilay Patel · Why GM will give you Gemini — but not CarPlay · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT