GM’s Breakout 2025 Marks Best Run Since Second IPO — But CEO Hints Trump Rules Cloud The Road Ahead

• In 2010, General Motors went public after the 2009 bankruptcy under CEO Daniel Akerson, who was succeeded by Mary Barra four years later.
• According to media reports on Tuesday, Barra reportedly said that General Motors continues to expect and believe that EVs eventually will take off in the U.S.
• She reportedly noted that the company still sees battery-powered vehicles as “the end game.”

General Motors’ long and storied history has included a bankruptcy, two public listings, and multiple leadership changes as the automaker sought to steady its course. Under its second-longest-serving CEO, Mary Barra, the company’s shares delivered their best year (2025) since GM’s second public debut, underscoring renewed investor confidence.

The Detroit, Michigan-based legacy automaker returned to public markets in 2010 following its 2009 bankruptcy, then under CEO Daniel Akerson. Four years later, Barra took the helm, guiding the company through its ambitious push into electric vehicles (EVs) and intensifying competition from rivals such as Tesla and Ford Motor Co.

Speed Bumps On The Way

That strategy, however, has faced fresh headwinds. U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff policies last year, combined with the rollback of the $7,500 federal tax credit for new and leased EVs and a renewed emphasis on gasoline-powered vehicles, have weighed heavily on GM. In January, the company said it would take a $6 billion charge related to its EV investments.

The $7,500 EV tax credit was first approved by Congress in 2008 and later expanded in 2022. A $4,000 credit for used EVs, which had also supported demand, has since been eliminated.

Still, GM — along with Ford — managed to punch above its weight and eke out far better gains than Tesla and Rivian last year.

EVs Remain The 'End Game'

Despite the policy shifts, Barra signaled that GM remains committed to its electric future. In an interview with CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil on Tuesday, she said the company still believes EV adoption will accelerate in the U.S., but admitted the industry may have moved “a little ahead of the consumer.”

“I think as there’s more charging infrastructure, as we continue to get the cost of batteries down, I think consumers will pick an electric vehicle, because they’re better,” Barra said. Separately, Reuters reported that Barra told the Automotive Press Association that battery-powered vehicles remain “the end game” for the automaker.

What Retail Traders Feel

Retail sentiment on General Motors has slipped to ‘bearish’ from ‘bullish’ a month ago, with message volumes at ‘high’ levels, according to Stocktwits data. Retail message volume jumped 22% over the past 24 hours, while the stock’s follower count has risen 3% over the past year.

Shares of General Motors have soared more than 61% over the last 12 months. They trade at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of just 7.4x, compared with Tesla's whopping 229x.

According to Koyfin, Wall Street is mostly bullish about GM stock: 18 out of 26 analysts covering the stock rate it a 'buy' or 'strong buy'. The automaker is due to report fourth-quarter earnings later this month, with consensus estimates pegging earnings per share to rise to $2.24 from $1.92 a year earlier, while revenue is expected to dip slightly to $45.95 billion from $$47.7 billion.

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Also See: McDonald’s Defies A Brutal Restaurant Cycle — But 2026 Won’t Be Easy

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