General Motors has revamped its logo for the age of electric cars. It’s part of a transformation that will see the automaker release 30 new electric vehicles (EVs) by the end of 2025.
The visual change is dramatic. The 113-year-old company has kept the same logo since 1964, though it has changed the colors slightly several times. The new logo is a significant change. It goes from capital letters to lowercase, the iconic blue is a lighter shade, and corners are now curved.
It presages what the automaker says are dramatic changes in its approach to building and selling cars. GM Global Chief Marketing Officer Deborah Wahl, explaining the change, says “There are moments in history when everything changes. Inflection points. We believe such a point is upon us for the mass adoption of electric vehicles. Unlike ever before, we have the solutions, capability, technology, and scale to put everyone in an EV.”
The new logo is accompanied by the launch of a marketing campaign featuring author Malcolm Gladwell (author of the book Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference), professional surfer and shark attack survivor Bethany Hamilton, and fitness instructor Cody Rigsby discussing inflection points that lead to major change.
To date, the company has announced plans to make its Cadillac brand all-electric. It will also offer electric vehicles ranging from small hatchbacks to Hummer pickups in its other divisions. Most importantly, it plans to invest heavily in the expansion of its proprietary Ultium battery platform, which can be configured in many shapes allowing for more design options than the usual, under-the-floor EV battery layout.
