GM, §1A diff (2020 → 2021)

Table of Contents

GENERAL MOTORS COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES

Item 1A. Risk Factors

We have listed below the most material risk factors applicable to us. These risk factors are not necessarily in the order of importance or probability of occurrence:

Risks related to our competition and strategy

If we do not deliver new products, services, technologies and customer experiences in response to increased competition and changing consumer preferences in the automotive industry, our business could suffer. We believe that the automotive industry will continue to experience significant change in the coming years, particularly as traditional automotive original equipment manufacturers shift resources to the development of EVs. In addition to our traditional competitors, we must also be responsive to the entrance of start-ups and other non-traditional competitors in the automotive industry. These new competitors, as well as established industry participants, are disrupting the historic business model of our industry through the introduction of new technologies, products, services, direct-to-consumer sales channels, methods of transportation and vehicle ownership. To successfully execute our long-term strategy, we must continue to develop new products and services, including products and services that are outside of our historically core ICE business, such as EVs and AVs, software-enabled connected services and other new businesses.

Our vehicles and connected services increasingly rely on software and hardware that is highly technical and complex. The process of designing and developing new technology, products and services is costly and uncertain and requires extensive capital investment and the ability to retain and recruit the best talent. If our access to capital were to become significantly constrained, if costs of capital increased significantly, or if our ability to raise capital is challenged relative to our peers, in each case including as a result of any constraints on lending due to concerns about climate change, our ability to execute on our strategic plans could be adversely affected. Further, the market for highly skilled workers and leaders in our industry is extremely competitive. Failure to attract, hire, develop, motivate and retain highly qualified and diverse employees could disrupt our operations and adversely affect our strategic plans.

There can be no assurance that advances in technology will occur in a timely or feasible way, if at all, that others will not acquire similar or superior technologies sooner than we do, or that we will acquire technologies on an exclusive basis or at a significant price advantage. Further, if we are unable to prevent or effectively remedy errors, bugs, vulnerabilities or defects in our software and hardware, or fail to deploy updates to our software properly, or if we do not adequately prepare for and respond to new kinds of technological innovations, market developments and changing customer needs, our sales, profitability and long-term competitiveness may be harmed.

Our ability to maintain profitability is dependent upon our ability to timely fund and introduce new and improved vehicle models, including EVs, that are able to attract a sufficient number of consumers. We operate in a very competitive industry with market participants routinely introducing new and improved vehicle models and features designed to meet rapidly evolving consumer expectations. Producing new and improved vehicle models, including EVs, that preserve our reputation for designing, building and selling safe, high-quality cars, trucks and SUVs is critical to our long-term profitability. Successful launches of our new vehicles are critical to our short-term profitability. The new vehicle development process can take two years or more, and a number of factors may lengthen that time period. Because of this product development cycle and the various elements that may contribute to consumers’ acceptance of new vehicle designs, including competitors’ product introductions, technological innovations, fuel prices, general economic conditions, regulatory developments, transportation infrastructure and changes in quality, safety, reliability and styling demands and preferences, an initial product concept or design may not result in a saleable vehicle or a vehicle that generates sales in sufficient quantities and at high enough prices to be profitable. Our high proportion of fixed costs, both due to our significant investment in property, plant and equipment as well as other requirements of our collective bargaining agreements, which limit our flexibility to adjust personnel costs to changes in demands for our products, may further exacerbate the risks associated with incorrectly assessing demand for our vehicles.

Our long-term strategy is dependent upon our ability to profitably deliver a broad portfolio of EVs. The production and profitable sale of EVs has become increasingly important to our long-term business as we accelerate our transition to an all-electric future. In 2021, we increased our commitment to investments in EV and AV technologies to more than $35.0 billion from 2020 through 2025, with plans to launch more than 30 new EV models globally across several price points in that timeframe. Our EV strategy is dependent on our ability to deliver a broad portfolio of high-quality EVs that are competitive and meet consumer demands; reduce the costs associated with the manufacture of EVs, particularly with respect to batteries; increase vehicle range and the energy density of our batteries; license and monetize our proprietary platforms and related innovations; successfully invest in new technologies relative to our peers; develop new software and services; and leverage our scale, manufacturing capabilities and synergies with existing ICE vehicles.

GENERAL MOTORS COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES

In addition, consumer adoption of EVs will be critical to the success of our strategy. Consumer adoption of EVs could be impacted by numerous factors, including the breadth of the portfolio of EVs available; perceptions about EV features, quality, safety, performance and cost relative to ICE vehicles; the range over which EVs may be driven on a full battery charge; the proliferation of charging infrastructure, in particular with respect to public EV charging stations; cost and availability of high fuel-economy ICE vehicles; volatility, or a sustained decrease, in the cost of petroleum-based fuel; failure by governments and other third parties to make the investments necessary to make infrastructure improvements, such as greater availability of cleaner energy grids and EV charging stations, and to provide economic incentives promoting the adoption of EVs; and negative feedback from stakeholders impacting investor and consumer confidence in our company or industry. If we are unable to successfully deliver on our EV strategy, it could materially and adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition and growth prospects, and could negatively impact our brand and reputation.

Our near-term profitability is dependent upon the success of our current line of full-size ICE SUVs and full-size ICE pickup trucks. While we offer a broad portfolio of cars, crossovers, SUVs and trucks, and we have announced significant plans to design, build and sell a broad portfolio of EVs, we currently recognize higher profit margins on our full-size ICE SUVs and full-size ICE trucks. Our near-term success is dependent upon our ability to sell higher margin vehicles in sufficient volumes. We also plan to use the cash generated by our ICE vehicles to fund our growth strategy, including the development and sale of EVs and AVs. Any near-term shift in consumer preferences toward smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles, whether as a result of increases in the price of oil or any sustained shortage of oil, including as a result of global political instability, concerns about climate change, including any constraints related to lending on GHG-emitting products, or other reasons, could weaken the demand for our higher margin vehicles. More stringent fuel economy regulations could also impact our ability to sell these vehicles or could result in additional costs associated with these vehicles. See “Our operations and products are subject to extensive laws, regulations and policies, including those related to vehicle emissions and fuel economy standards, which can significantly increase our costs and affect how we do business.”

We operate in a highly competitive industry that has historically had excess manufacturing capacity, and attempts by our competitors to sell more vehicles could have a significant negative effect on our vehicle pricing, market share and operating results. The global automotive industry is highly competitive in terms of the quality, innovation, new technologies, pricing, fuel economy, reliability, safety, customer service and financial services offered. Additionally, overall manufacturing capacity in the industry has historically far exceeded demand. In addition, we have made, and plan to continue to make, significant investments in EV manufacturing capacity based on our expectations for EV demand, which is subject to various risks and uncertainties as described above. Many manufacturers, including GM, have relatively high fixed labor costs as well as limitations on their ability to close facilities and reduce fixed costs, often as a result of collective bargaining agreements. In light of any excess capacity and high fixed costs, many industry participants have attempted to sell more vehicles by providing subsidized financing or leasing programs, offering marketing incentives or reducing vehicle prices. As a result, we may be required to offer similar incentives that may result in vehicle prices that do not offset our costs, including any cost increases or the impact of adverse currency fluctuations, which could affect our profitability. Our competitors may also seek to benefit from economies of scale by consolidating or entering into other strategic agreements such as alliances or joint ventures intended to enhance their competitiveness.

Manufacturers in countries that have lower production costs, such as China and India, have become competitors in key emerging markets and have announced their intention to export their products to established markets as a low-cost alternative to established entry-level automobiles. In addition, foreign governments may decide to implement tax and other policies that favor their domestic manufacturers at the expense of international manufacturers, including GM and its joint venture partners. These actions have had, and are expected to continue to have, a significant negative effect on our vehicle pricing, market share and operating results in these markets.

Our AV strategy is dependent upon our ability to successfully mitigate unique technological, operational and regulatory risks. GM Cruise Holdings LLC (Cruise Holdings), our majority-owned subsidiary, is responsible for the development and commercialization of AV technology. Our AV operations are capital intensive and subject to a variety of risks inherent with the development of new technologies, including our ability to continue to develop self-driving software and hardware, such as Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensors and other components; access to sufficient capital; risks related to the manufacture of purpose-built AVs; and significant competition from both established automotive companies and technology companies, some of which may have more resources and capital to devote to AV technologies than we do. In addition, we face risks related to the commercial deployment of AVs on our targeted timeline or at all, including consumer acceptance, achievement of adequate safety and other performance standards and compliance with uncertain, evolving and potentially conflicting federal and state or provincial regulations. To the extent accidents, cybersecurity breaches or other adverse events associated with our autonomous driving systems occur, we could be subject to liability, reputational harm, government scrutiny and further regulation, and it could deter consumer adoption of AV technology. Any of the foregoing could materially and adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition and growth prospects.

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We are subject to risks associated with climate change, including increased regulation of GHG emissions, changing consumer preferences and other risks related to our transition to EVs and the potential increased impacts of severe weather events on our operations and infrastructure. Increasing attention to climate change, increasing societal expectations on companies to address climate change and changes in consumer preferences may result in increased costs, reduced demand for our products, reduced profits, risks associated with new regulatory requirements and the potential for increased litigation and governmental investigations. Climate change regulations at the federal, state or local level or in international jurisdictions could require us to further limit emissions associated with customer use of products we sell, change our manufacturing processes or product portfolio or undertake other activities that may require us to incur additional expense, which may be material. These requirements may increase the cost of, and/or diminish demand for, our ICE vehicles. See “Our operations and products are subject to extensive laws, regulations and policies, including those related to vehicle emissions and fuel economy standards, which can significantly increase our costs and affect how we do business.”

Part of our strategy to address these risks includes our transition to EVs, which presents additional risks, including reduced demand for, and therefore profits from, our ICE vehicles, which we plan to use to fund our growth strategy; higher costs related to EV technologies impacting profitability compared to ICE vehicles; and risks related to the success of our EV strategy. See “Our long-term strategy is dependent upon our ability to profitably deliver a broad portfolio of EVs” and “Our near-term profitability is dependent upon the success of our current line of full-size ICE SUVs and full-size ICE pickup trucks.”

Finally, increased intensity, frequency or duration of storms, droughts or other severe weather events as a result of climate change may disrupt our production and the production, logistics, cost and procurement of products from our suppliers and timely delivery of vehicles to customers, and could negatively impact working conditions at our plants and those of our suppliers. Any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Risks related to our operations

Our business is highly dependent upon global automobile market sales volume, which can be volatile. Because we have a high proportion of relatively fixed structural costs, small changes in sales volume can have a disproportionately large effect on our profitability. A number of economic and market conditions drive changes in new vehicle sales, including disruptions in the new vehicle supply chain, the availability and prices of used vehicles, levels of unemployment and inflation, availability of affordable financing, fluctuations in the cost of fuel, consumer confidence and demand for vehicles, political unrest or uncertainty, the occurrence of a contagious disease or illness, including COVID-19, barriers to trade and other global economic conditions. For a discussion of economic and market trends, see the "Overview" section in Part II, Item 7. MD&A. Any significant decrease in new vehicle sales could materially and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

High prices and uncertain availability of commodities, raw materials or other inputs used by us and our suppliers, or instability in logistics and related costs, could negatively impact our profitability. Increases in prices for commodities, raw materials or other inputs that we and our suppliers use in manufacturing products, systems, components and parts, such as steel, precious metals, non-ferrous metals, critical minerals or other similar raw materials, or increases in logistics and related costs, may lead to higher production costs for parts, components and vehicles. In addition, any increase in the cost of critical materials for our EV propulsion systems, including lithium, nickel, cobalt and certain rare earth metals, could lead to higher production costs for our EVs and could impede our ability to successfully deliver on our EV strategy. Further, increasing global demand for, and uncertain supply of, such materials could disrupt our or our suppliers’ ability to obtain such materials in a timely manner and/or could lead to increased costs. Geopolitical risk, fluctuations in supply and demand, any weakening of the U.S. dollar and other economic and political factors may continue to create pricing pressure for commodities, raw materials and other inputs. These inflationary pressures could, in turn, negatively impact our future profitability because we may not be able to pass all of those costs on to our customers or require our suppliers to absorb such costs.

Our business in China subjects us to unique operational, competitive and regulatory risks. Pursuing opportunities in the Chinese market is an important component of our global growth strategy. Our business in China is subject to aggressive competition from many of the largest global manufacturers and numerous domestic manufacturers as well as non-traditional market participants, such as domestic technology companies. In addition, our success in China depends upon our ability to adequately address unique market and consumer preferences driven by advancements related to EVs, infotainment, software-enabled connected services and other new technologies. Our ability to fully deploy our technologies in China may be impacted by evolving laws and regulations in the U.S. and China. Increased competition, continued U.S.-China trade tensions or weakening economic conditions in China, among other factors, may result in cost increases, price reductions, reduced sales, profitability and margins, and challenges to gaining or holding market share.

Certain risks and uncertainties of doing business in China are solely within the control of the Chinese government, and Chinese law regulates the scope of our investments and business conducted within China. In order to maintain access to the Chinese market, we may be required to comply with significant technical and other regulatory requirements that are unique to the Chinese market, at times with challenging lead times. These actions may increase the cost of doing business in China or

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limit how and under what conditions we may do business in China, which could materially and adversely affect our profitability and financial condition.

We benefit from many ongoing strategic business relationships, and a significant amount of our operations are conducted by joint ventures, which we cannot operate solely for our benefit. We are engaged in many strategic business relationships, and we expect that such arrangements will continue to be an important factor in the growth and success of our business, particularly in light of industry consolidation. However, there are no assurances that we will be able to identify or secure suitable business relationships in the future or that our competitors will not capitalize on such opportunities before we do, or that any strategic business relationships that we enter into will be successful. If we are unable to successfully source and execute on strategic business relationships in the future, our overall growth could be impaired, and our business, prospects and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

In addition, many of our operations, primarily in China and Korea as well as our battery manufacturing operations with LG Energy Solution, are carried out by joint ventures. In joint ventures we share ownership and management of a company with one or more parties who may not have the same goals, strategies, priorities or resources as we do and may compete with us outside the joint venture. Joint ventures are intended to be operated for the benefit of all co-owners, rather than for our exclusive benefit. Operating a business as a joint venture often requires additional organizational formalities as well as time-consuming procedures for sharing information and making decisions that must further take into consideration our partners' interests. In joint ventures we are required to foster our relationships with our co-owners as well as promote the overall success of the joint venture, and if a co-owner changes, relationships deteriorate or strategic objectives diverge, our success in the joint venture may be materially adversely affected. Further, the benefits from a successful joint venture are shared among the co-owners, therefore we do not receive all the benefits from our successful joint ventures.

In addition, because we share ownership and management with one or more parties, we may have limited control over the actions of a joint venture, particularly when we own a minority interest. As a result, we may be unable to prevent violations of applicable laws or other misconduct by a joint venture or the failure to satisfy contractual obligations by one or more parties. Moreover, a joint venture may not follow the same requirements regarding compliance, internal controls and internal control over financial reporting that we follow. To the extent another party makes decisions that negatively impact the joint venture or internal control issues arise within the joint venture, we may have to take responsive actions, or we may be subject to penalties, fines or other punitive actions for these activities.

The international scale and footprint of our operations expose us to additional risks. We manufacture, sell and service products globally and rely upon an integrated global supply chain to deliver the raw materials, components, systems and parts that we need to manufacture our products. Our global operations subject us to extensive domestic and foreign legal and regulatory requirements, and a variety of other political, economic and regulatory risks, including: (1) changes in government leadership; (2) changes in trade compliance, labor, employment, tax, privacy, environmental and other laws, regulations or government policies impacting our overall business model or practices or restricting our ability to manufacture, purchase or sell products consistent with market demand and our business objectives; (3) political pressures to change any aspect of our business model or practices or that impair our ability to source raw materials, services, components, systems and parts, or manufacture products on competitive terms in a manner consistent with our business objectives; (4) political uncertainty, instability, civil unrest or government controls over certain sectors; (5) political and economic tensions between governments and changes in international economic policies, including restrictions on the repatriation of dividends or in the export of technology, especially between China and the U.S.; (6) changes to customs requirements or procedures (e.g., inspections) or new or higher tariffs, for example, on products imported into or exported from the U.S., including under U.S. or other trade laws or measures; (7) new non-tariff barriers to entry or domestic preference procurement requirements, or enforcement of, changes to, withdrawals from or impediments to implementing free trade agreements (for example, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement), or preferences of foreign nationals for domestically manufactured products; (8) changes in foreign currency exchange rates, particularly in Brazil and Argentina, and interest rates; (9) economic downturns or significant changes in conditions in the countries in which we operate; (10) differing local product preferences and product requirements, including government certification requirements related to, among other things, fuel economy, vehicle emissions, EVs and AVs, connected services and safety; (11) impact of changes to and compliance with U.S. and foreign countries’ export controls, economic sanctions and other similar measures; (12) liabilities resulting from U.S. and foreign laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, those related to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and certain other anti-corruption laws; (13) differing labor regulations, agreements, requirements and union relationships; (14) differing dealer and franchise regulations and relationships; (15) difficulties in obtaining financing in foreign countries for local operations; and (16) natural disasters, public health crises, including the occurrence of a contagious disease or illness, such as COVID-19, and other catastrophic events.

Any significant disruption at one of our manufacturing facilities could disrupt our production schedule. We assemble vehicles at various facilities around the world. Our facilities are typically designed to produce particular models for particular geographic markets. No single facility is designed to manufacture our full range of vehicles. In some cases, certain facilities produce products, systems, components and parts that disproportionately contribute a greater degree to our profitability than

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others and create significant interdependencies among manufacturing facilities around the world. Should these or other facilities become unavailable either temporarily or permanently for any number of reasons, including labor disruptions, supply chain disruptions, the occurrence of a contagious disease or illness, such as COVID-19, or catastrophic weather events, whether or not as a result of climate change, the inability to manufacture at the affected facility may result in harm to our reputation, increased costs, lower revenues and the loss of customers. In particular, substantially all of our hourly employees are represented by unions and covered by collective bargaining agreements that must be negotiated from time-to-time, including at the local facility level, which increases our risk of work stoppages. We may not be able to easily shift production to other facilities or to make up for lost production. Any new facility needed to replace an inoperable manufacturing facility would need to comply with the necessary regulatory requirements, need to satisfy our specialized manufacturing requirements and require specialized equipment.

Any disruption in our suppliers’ operations could disrupt our production schedule. Our automotive operations are dependent upon the continued ability of our suppliers to deliver the systems, components, raw materials and parts that we need to manufacture our products. Our use of “just-in-time” manufacturing processes allows us to maintain minimal inventory. As a result, our ability to maintain production is dependent upon our suppliers delivering sufficient quantities of systems, components, raw materials and parts on time to meet our production schedules. In some instances, we purchase systems, components, raw materials and parts that are ultimately derived from a single source and may be at an increased risk for supply disruptions. Any number of factors, including labor disruptions, catastrophic weather events, the occurrence of a contagious disease or illness, such as COVID-19, contractual or other disputes, unfavorable economic or industry conditions, delivery delays or other performance problems or financial difficulties or solvency problems, could disrupt our suppliers’ operations and lead to uncertainty in our supply chain or cause supply disruptions for us, which could, in turn, disrupt our operations, including the production of certain higher margin vehicles. If the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread or re-emerges and results in a prolonged period of travel, commercial, social and other similar restrictions, we could experience continued and/or additional global supply disruptions. If we experience supply disruptions, we may not be able to develop alternate sourcing quickly. Any disruption of our production schedule caused by an unexpected shortage of systems, components, raw materials or parts even for a relatively short period of time could cause us to alter production schedules, increase work-in-process inventory or suspend production entirely, which could cause a loss of revenues or an increase in working capital, which would adversely affect our profitability and financial condition.

In particular, a global semiconductor supply shortage has had, and is continuing to have, wide-ranging effects across multiple industries, particularly the automotive industry, and it has impacted multiple suppliers that incorporate semiconductors into the parts they supply to us. As a result, the semiconductor supply shortage has had, and depending on how long it persists, could continue to have, a material impact on our operations.

The COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the global economy may disrupt our business and operations, which could materially adversely impact our business, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations. Pandemics, epidemics or disease outbreaks in the U.S. or globally may disrupt our business, which could materially affect our results of operations, financial condition, liquidity and future expectations. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused, and is continuing to cause, significant disruption to the global economy, including the automotive industry, and has had a material impact on our business. However, the full extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic will impact our operations will depend on future developments, including the duration and severity of the pandemic, any subsequent outbreaks of the virus or any related variants and the efficacy, availability and adoption of vaccines. Future developments are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence and may adversely impact our global supply chain and global manufacturing operations and cause us to again suspend our operations in the U.S. and elsewhere. In particular, if the COVID-19 pandemic continues or re-emerges, particularly in North America where our profits are most concentrated, resulting in a prolonged period of travel, commercial, social and other similar restrictions, we could experience among other things: (1) continued or additional global supply disruptions, including a delayed recovery from the global semiconductor supply shortage; (2) labor disruptions; (3) an inability to manufacture; (4) an inability to sell to our customers; (5) a decline in showroom traffic and customer demand during and following the pandemic; (6) customer defaults on automobile loans and leases; (7) lower than expected pricing on vehicles sold at auction; and (8) an impaired ability to access credit and the capital markets. We may also be subject to enhanced legal risks, including potential litigation related to the COVID-19 pandemic. We also have substantial cash requirements going forward, including: (1) ongoing cash costs including payments associated with previously announced vehicle recalls, the settlements of multi-district litigation and other recall-related contingencies, payments to service debt and other long-term obligations, including mandatory contributions to our pension plans; and (2) capital expenditures and payments for engineering and product development activities. Our ability to meet these cash requirements may be negatively impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Any resulting financial impact or the duration of such impact cannot be reasonably estimated at this time, but the COVID-19 pandemic could have a material impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations going forward.

We may continue to restructure our operations in the U.S. and various other countries and initiate additional cost reduction actions, but we may not succeed in doing so. Since 2017, we have undertaken restructuring actions to lower our operating costs in response to difficult market and operating conditions in various parts of the world, including the U.S.,

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Canada, Korea, Southeast Asia, India, Africa, Australia and New Zealand and Europe. As we continue to assess our performance throughout our regions, we may take additional restructuring actions to rationalize our operations, which may result in material asset write-downs or impairments and reduce our profitability in the periods incurred. In addition, these restructuring actions subject us to increased risks of labor unrest or strikes, supplier, dealer, or other third-party litigation, regulator claims or proceedings, negative publicity and business disruption. Failure to realize anticipated savings or benefits from our restructuring and/or cost reduction actions could have a material adverse effect on our business, liquidity and cash flows.

Risks related to our intellectual property, cybersecurity, information technology and data management practices

Competitors may independently develop products and services similar to ours, and there are no guarantees that GM’s intellectual property rights would prevent competitors from independently developing or selling those products and services. There may be instances where, notwithstanding our intellectual property position, competitive products or services may impact the value of our brands and other intangible assets, and our business may be adversely affected. Moreover, although GM takes reasonable steps to maintain the confidentiality of GM proprietary information, there can be no assurance that such efforts will completely deter or prevent misappropriation or improper use of our intellectual property. We sometimes face attempts to gain unauthorized access to our information technology networks and systems for the purpose of improperly acquiring our trade secrets or confidential business information. The theft or unauthorized use or publication of our trade secrets and other confidential business information as a result of such an incident could adversely affect our competitive position. In addition, we may be the target of patent enforcement actions by third parties, including aggressive and opportunistic enforcement claims by non-practicing entities. Regardless of the merit of such claims, responding to infringement claims can be expensive and time-consuming. Although we have taken steps to mitigate such risks, if we are found to have infringed any third-party intellectual property rights, we could be required to pay substantial damages, or we could be enjoined from offering some of our products and services. In addition, to prevent unauthorized use of our intellectual property, it may be necessary to prosecute actions for infringement, misappropriation or other violation of our intellectual property against third parties. Any such action could result in significant costs and diversion of our resources and management’s attention, and there can be no assurance that we will be successful in any such action.

Security breaches and other disruptions to information technology systems and networked products, including connected vehicles, owned or maintained by us, GM Financial, or third-parties, such as vendors or suppliers, could interfere with our operations and could compromise the confidentiality of private customer data or our proprietary information. We rely upon information technology systems and manufacture networked and connected products, some of which are managed by third parties, to process, transmit and store electronic information and to manage or support a variety of our business processes, activities and products. Additionally, we and GM Financial collect and store sensitive data, including intellectual property and proprietary business information (including that of our dealers and suppliers), as well as personally identifiable information of our customers and employees, in data centers and on information technology networks (including networks that may be controlled or maintained by third parties). The secure operation of these systems and products, and the processing and maintenance of the information processed by these systems and products, is critical to our business operations and strategy. Further, customers using our systems rely on the security of our infrastructure, including hardware and other elements provided by third parties, to ensure the reliability of our products and the protection of their data. We also face the risk of operational disruption, failure, termination or capacity constraints of any of the third parties that facilitate our business activities, including vendors, service providers, suppliers, customers, counterparties, exchanges, clearing agents, clearinghouses or other financial intermediaries. Such parties and other third parties who provide us services or with whom we communicate could also be the source of a cyberattack on, or breach of, our operational systems, network, data or infrastructure. Despite our security measures and business continuity plans, our information technology systems and networked and connected products may be vulnerable to damage, disruptions or shutdowns caused by attacks by hackers, computer viruses, malware (including “ransomware”), phishing attacks or breaches due to errors or malfeasance by employees, contractors and others who have access to these systems and products. The occurrence of any of these events could compromise the confidentiality, operational integrity and accessibility of these systems and products and the data that resides within them. Similarly, such an occurrence could result in the compromise or loss of the information processed by these systems and products. Such events could result in, among other things, the loss of proprietary data, interruptions or delays in our business operations and damage to our reputation. In addition, such events could increase the risk of claims alleging that we are non-compliant with applicable laws or regulations, subjecting us to potential liability or regulatory penalties and related costs under laws protecting the privacy of personal information; disrupt our operations; or reduce the competitive advantage we hope to derive from our investment in advanced technologies. Various events described above have occurred in the past and may occur in the future. Although impacts of past events have been immaterial, the impacts of such events in the future may be material.

Security breaches and other disruptions of our in-vehicle systems could impact the safety of our customers and reduce confidence in GM and our products. Our vehicles contain complex information technology systems. These systems control various vehicle functions including engine, transmission, safety, steering, navigation, acceleration, braking, window, door lock functions and battery and electric motors. We have designed, implemented and tested security measures intended to prevent

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unauthorized access to these systems. However, hackers have reportedly attempted, and may attempt in the future, to gain unauthorized access to modify, alter and use such systems to gain control of, or to change, our vehicles’ functionality, user interface and performance characteristics, or to gain access to data stored in or generated by the vehicle. Any unauthorized access to or control of our vehicles or their systems could adversely impact the safety of our customers or result in legal claims or proceedings, liability or regulatory penalties. Laws that would permit third-party access to vehicle data and related systems could expose our vehicles and vehicle systems to third-party access without appropriate security measures in place, leading to new safety and security risks for our customers and reducing customer trust and confidence in our products. In addition, regardless of their veracity, reports of unauthorized access to our vehicles or their systems could negatively affect our brand and harm our reputation, which could adversely impact our business and operating results.

Our enterprise data practices, including the collection, use, sharing and security of the Personal Identifiable Information of our customers, employees and suppliers, are subject to increasingly complex and restrictive regulations in all key market regions. Under these regulations, the failure to maintain compliant data practices could result in consumer complaints and regulatory inquiry, resulting in civil or criminal penalties, as well as brand impact or other harm to our business. In addition, increased consumer sensitivity to real or perceived failures in maintaining acceptable data practices could damage our reputation and deter current and potential users or customers from using our products and services. The cost of compliance with these laws and regulations will be high and is likely to increase in the future. The growing patchwork of state and country regulations imposes burdensome obligations on companies to quickly respond to consumer requests, such as requests to delete, disclose and stop selling personal information, with significant fines for noncompliance. Complying with these new laws has significantly increased, and may continue to increase, our operating costs and is driving increased complexity in our operations.

Risks related to government regulations and litigation

Our operations and products are subject to extensive laws, regulations and policies, including those related to vehicle emissions and fuel economy standards, which can significantly increase our costs and affect how we do business. We are significantly affected by governmental regulations on a global basis that can increase costs related to the production of our vehicles and affect our product portfolio, particularly regulations relating to fuel economy standards and GHG emissions. Meeting or exceeding the requirements of these regulations is costly, often technologically challenging and may require phase-out of internal combustion propulsion in certain major jurisdictions, and these standards are often not harmonized across jurisdictions. We anticipate that the number and extent of these and other regulations, laws and policies, and the related costs and changes to our product portfolio, may increase significantly in the future, primarily motivated by efforts to reduce GHG emissions. Specifically, fuel economy and GHG emission regulations at the federal, state or local level or in international jurisdictions could require us to further limit the sale of certain profitable products, subsidize the sale of less profitable ones, change our manufacturing processes, pay penalties or undertake other activities that may require us to incur additional expense, which may be material. These requirements may increase the cost of, and/or diminish demand for, our vehicles. These regulatory requirements, among others, could significantly affect our plans for global product development and, given the uncertainty surrounding enforcement and regulatory definitions and interpretations, may result in substantial costs, including civil or criminal penalties. In addition, an evolving but un-harmonized emissions and fuel economy regulatory framework that could include specific sales mandates may limit or dictate the types of vehicles we sell and where we sell them, which can affect our revenues. Refer to the “Environmental and Regulatory Matters” section of Item 1. Business for further information on regulatory and environmental requirements.

We expect that to comply with fuel economy and GHG emission standards and mandates to sell specific volumes of ZEV in certain jurisdictions, we will be required to sell a significant volume of EVs, and potentially develop and implement new technologies for conventional internal combustion engines, all of which will require substantial investment and expense. There are limits on our ability to achieve fuel economy improvements over a given time frame, primarily relating to the cost and effectiveness of available technologies, lack of sufficient consumer acceptance of new technologies and of changes in vehicle mix, lack of willingness of consumers to absorb the additional costs of new technologies, the appropriateness (or lack thereof) of certain technologies for use in particular vehicles, the widespread availability (or lack thereof) of supporting infrastructure for new technologies, especially for EVs, and the human, engineering and financial resources necessary to deploy new technologies across a wide range of products and powertrains in a short time. There is no assurance that we will be able to produce and sell vehicles that use such new technologies on a profitable basis or that our customers will purchase such vehicles in the quantities necessary for us to comply with current or future regulatory requirements.

In the current uncertain regulatory framework, compliance costs for which we may be responsible and that are not reasonably estimable could be substantial. Alleged violations of fuel economy or emission standards could result in legal proceedings, the recall of one or more of our products, negotiated remedial actions, fines, restricted product offerings or a combination of any of those items. Any of these actions could have a material adverse effect on our profitability, financial condition and operations, including facility idling, reduced employment, increased costs and loss of revenue.

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In addition, many of our advanced technologies, including AVs, present novel issues with which domestic and foreign regulators have only limited experience, and will be subject to evolving regulatory frameworks. Any current or future regulations in these areas could impede the successful commercialization of these technologies and impact whether and how these technologies are designed and integrated into our products, and may ultimately subject us to increased costs and uncertainty.

We could be materially adversely affected by unusual or significant litigation, governmental investigations or other proceedings. We are subject to legal proceedings in the U.S. and elsewhere involving various issues, including product liability lawsuits, warranty litigation, class action litigations alleging product defects, emissions litigation, stockholder litigation, labor and employment litigation and claims and actions arising from restructurings and divestitures of operations and assets. In addition, we are subject to governmental proceedings and investigations. A negative outcome in one or more of these legal proceedings could result in the imposition of damages, including punitive damages, fines, reputational harm, civil lawsuits and criminal penalties, interruptions of business, modification of business practices, equitable remedies and other sanctions against us or our personnel as well as legal and other costs, all of which may be significant. For a further discussion of these matters refer to Note 16 to our consolidated financial statements.

The costs and effect on our reputation of product safety recalls and alleged defects in products and services could materially adversely affect our business. Government safety standards require manufacturers to remedy certain product safety defects through recall campaigns and vehicle repurchases. Under these standards, we could be subject to civil or criminal penalties or may incur various costs, including significant costs for repairs made at no cost to the consumer. The costs we incur in connection with these recalls typically include the cost of the part being replaced and labor to remove and replace the defective part. The costs to complete a recall could be exacerbated to the extent that such action relates to a global platform, such as the Chevrolet Bolt EV recall. Concerns about the safety of our products, including advanced technologies like AVs, whether raised internally or by regulators or consumer advocates, and whether or not based on scientific evidence or supported by data, can result in product delays, recalls, field actions, lost sales, governmental investigations, regulatory action, private claims, lawsuits and settlements and reputational damage. These circumstances can also result in damage to brand image, brand equity and consumer trust in our products and ability to lead the disruption occurring in the automotive industry.

We currently source a variety of systems, components, raw materials and parts from third parties. From time to time these items may have performance or quality issues that could harm our reputation and cause us to incur significant costs, particularly if the affected items relate to global platforms or involve defects that are identified years after production. Our ability to recover costs associated with recalls or other campaigns caused by parts or components purchased from suppliers may be limited by the suppliers’ financial condition or a number of other reasons or defenses.

We may incur additional tax expense or become subject to additional tax exposure. We are subject to the tax laws and regulations of the U.S. and numerous other jurisdictions in which we do business. Many judgments are required in determining our worldwide provision for income taxes and other tax liabilities, and we are regularly under audit by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and other tax authorities, which may not agree with our tax positions. In addition, our tax liabilities are subject to other significant risks and uncertainties, including those arising from potential changes in laws and regulations in the countries in which we do business, the possibility of adverse determinations with respect to the application of existing laws, changes in our business or structure and changes in the valuation of our deferred tax assets and liabilities. Any unfavorable resolution of these and other uncertainties may have a significant adverse impact on our tax rate and results of operations. If our tax expense were to increase, or if the ultimate determination of our taxes owed is for an amount in excess of amounts previously accrued, our operating results, cash flows and financial condition could be adversely affected.

Risks related to Automotive Financing - GM Financial

We rely on GM Financial to provide financial services to our customers and dealers. GM Financial faces a number of business, economic and financial risks that could impair its access to capital and negatively affect its business and operations, which in turn could impede its ability to provide leasing and financing to customers and commercial lending to our dealers. Any reduction in GM Financial’s ability to provide such financial services would negatively affect our efforts to support additional sales of our vehicles and expand our market penetration among customers and dealers.

The primary factors that could adversely affect GM Financial’s business and operations and reduce its ability to provide financing services at competitive rates include the sufficiency, availability and cost of sources of financing, including credit facilities, securitization programs and secured and unsecured debt issuances; the performance of loans and leases in its portfolio, which could be materially affected by charge-offs, delinquencies and prepayments; wholesale auction values of used vehicles; vehicle return rates and the residual value performance on vehicles GM Financial leases to customers; fluctuations in interest rates and currencies; competition for customers from commercial banks, credit unions and other financing and leasing companies; and changes to regulation, supervision, enforcement and licensing across various jurisdictions.

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In addition, GM Financial has certain floating-rate obligations, hedging transactions and floating-rate dealer loans that determine their applicable interest rate or payment amount by reference to the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR). The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates LIBOR, has announced that it will no longer persuade or compel banks to submit rates for the calculation of LIBOR after 2021. In March 2021, the ICE Benchmark Administration Limited, the administrator of LIBOR, extended the transition dates of certain LIBOR tenors (including all U.S. Dollar LIBOR tenors other than one-week and two-month U.S. Dollar LIBOR tenors) to June 30, 2023, after which LIBOR reference rates will cease to be provided. Despite this deferral, the LIBOR administrator has advised that no new contracts using U.S. Dollar LIBOR should be entered into after December 31, 2021. It is unknown whether any banks will continue to voluntarily submit rates for the calculation of LIBOR, or whether LIBOR will continue to be published by its administrator based on these submissions or on any other basis, after such dates. At this time, it is not possible to predict the effect that these developments or any discontinuance, modification or other reforms may have on LIBOR, other benchmarks or floating-rate debt instruments, including GM Financial’s floating-rate debt. Any such discontinuance, modification, alternative reference rates or other reforms may materially adversely affect interest rates on GM Financial’s current indebtedness. There is a risk that the discontinuation of LIBOR will impact GM Financial's ability to manage interest rate risk effectively without an adequate replacement.

Further, as an entity operating in the financial services sector, GM Financial is required to comply with a wide variety of laws and regulations that may be costly to adhere to and may affect our consolidated operating results. Compliance with these laws and regulations requires that GM Financial maintain forms, processes, procedures, controls and the infrastructure to support these requirements, and these laws and regulations often create operational constraints both on GM Financial’s ability to implement servicing procedures and on pricing. Laws in the financial services industry are designed primarily for the protection of consumers. The failure to comply with these laws could result in significant statutory civil and criminal penalties, monetary damages, attorneys’ fees and costs, possible revocation of licenses and damage to reputation, brand and valued customer relationships.

Risks related to defined benefit pension plans

Our defined benefit pension plans are currently underfunded and our pension funding requirements could increase significantly due to a reduction in funded status as a result of a variety of factors, including weak performance of financial markets, declining interest rates, changes in laws or regulations, or changes in assumptions or investments that do not achieve adequate returns. Our employee benefit plans currently hold a significant amount of equity and fixed income securities. A detailed description of the investment funds and strategies and our potential funding requirements are disclosed in Note 15 to our consolidated financial statements, which also describes significant concentrations of risk to the plan investments.

Our future funding requirements for our defined benefit pension plans depend upon the future performance of assets placed in trusts for these plans, the level of interest rates used to determine funding levels, the level of benefits provided for by the plans and any changes in laws and regulations. Future funding requirements generally increase if the discount rate decreases or if actual asset returns are lower than expected asset returns, assuming other factors are held constant. We estimate future contributions to these plans using assumptions with respect to these and other items. Changes to those assumptions could have a significant effect on future contributions.

There are additional risks due to the complexity and magnitude of our investments. Examples include implementation of significant changes in investment policy, insufficient market liquidity in particular asset classes and the inability to quickly rebalance illiquid and long-term investments.

Factors that affect future funding requirements for our U.S. defined benefit plans generally affect the required funding for non-U.S. plans. Certain plans outside the U.S. do not have assets and therefore the obligation is funded as benefits are paid. If local legal authorities increase the minimum funding requirements for our non-U.S. plans, we could be required to contribute more funds, which could negatively affect our liquidity and financial condition.

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