We recently published a list of 11 Hot EV Stocks to Buy Now. In this article, we are going to take a look at where General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) stands against the other hot EV stocks to buy now.

Just like any new technology, there is a lot of skepticism about the electric vehicle (EV) industry as well. Some believe that the technology is not viable while others are worried if the infrastructure will be enough to meet the charging demand and so on.

However, the electrification of vehicles is inevitable in the future. While there has been a slowdown in EVs in the US and Europe, China’s dominance and growth in the industry are a testament to the fact that the technology will take over internal combustion engines relatively soon.

We discussed the dominance of the Chinese EV industry in our article, 11 Small Cap EV Stocks to Invest In. Here is an excerpt from the article:

“While the growth in the US and Europe is slowing down, China is picking up a significant pace and dominating the EV landscape. According to a World Economic Forum report, Chinese EVs are much cheaper than their Western counterparts, with an average price of $34,400, compared to $55,242 in the U.S. The price gap is driven by lower labor costs, favorable government subsidies, and more affordable battery sourcing.

Chinese automakers now produce more than half of the world’s EVs and are using their cost advantages to potentially dominate the global market. As Chinese brands gain scale and expertise, their competitive pricing could allow them to challenge Western automakers.”

A lot of the EV slowdown in the West is attributed to the removal of subsidies, higher prices compared to gas-powered cars, and limited charging infrastructure. Nevertheless, some governments are now considering reinstating subsidies, and automakers are working to introduce more affordable EV models to boost demand and recover market share.

Burning Question: Is EV and Battery Manufacturing Worse for Climate?

While it is clear that EVs are better for the environment, many people have raised questions about the impacts of EVs and battery production on the environment. According to a report posted on the MIT Climate portal in 2022, Sergey Paltsev from MIT’s Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change explained that despite the manufacturing emissions, EVs have a significantly lower environmental impact compared to gasoline-powered cars.

The higher emissions from manufacturing EVs, especially due to the production of their lithium-ion batteries, are offset by the cleaner operation of EVs over their lifetime. Charging emissions vary depending on the energy source.

In regions using clean energy like hydropower, EVs have a very low carbon footprint, while in areas reliant on coal, the emissions are higher. However, even in the worst scenarios, EVs generally outperform gasoline vehicles in terms of emissions.

Moreover, studies from MIT and the U.S. Department of Energy show that EVs consistently produce less carbon dioxide per mile driven than hybrids or gas-powered cars. For example, the average EV emits 25% less CO2 than hybrids when using the U.S. grid’s energy mix, and this gap widens in regions with cleaner energy.

Our Methodology

For this article, we scoured stock screeners and ETFs to identify nearly 50 stocks that were involved in the EV industry in a significant capacity. Next, we narrowed our list to 11 stocks that had double-digit year-to-date share price growth as of September 30 and were most widely held by institutional investors. It is important to note that the share price returns were calculated while the market was open which could result in fluctuations compared to the provided data. Finally, we listed the 11 hot EV stocks to buy in ascending order of their hedge fund sentiment, which was taken from Insider Monkey’s database of over 900 elite hedge funds.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

General Motors Company (NYSE:GM)

Year-to-date Share Price Returns: 24.41%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 72

General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) is one of the largest automotive companies in the world and offers vehicles through its lineup of well-known names like Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac. Its products include budget-friendly daily-use vehicles as well as high-end luxury vehicles.

The company is moving toward an all-electric future with its Ultium Platform, which is designed to provide great power, range, and performance across a variety of vehicles, including cars, SUVs, and trucks.

Some significant advancements in its portfolio include Ultifi, a software system that allows for updates, subscriptions, and app features to keep vehicles customized and up-to-date. It tops our list of hot EV stocks to buy now.

General Motors (NYSE:GM) has also introduced myChevrolet Mobile App that helps drivers manage range and find charging stations, which makes the switch to electric vehicles smoother. Its subsidiary, BrightDrop, is also changing the delivery industry with electric vehicles like the Zevo 600 delivery van and the Trace, an electric cart for short-distance transport.

Despite retracting most of its earlier EV sales targets, the company believes it is gaining momentum with an expanding lineup of all-electric vehicles. As reported by CNBC on September 23, the company’s president of global markets, Rory Harvey reported significant growth in EV sales, with nearly 21,000 units sold in July and August, which almost matches the total for the entire second quarter.

General Motors (NYSE:GM) currently offers eight models based on its Ultium platform, including the Chevy Equinox and luxury Cadillac vehicles, with plans to launch two more Cadillac models by year’s end.

The company expects to achieve profitability in its EV production once it reaches an output of 200,000 units. While it depends on the future of consumer demand for EVs, the company is aiming to go completely electric by 2035.

According to our Q2 database of over 900 hedge funds, 72 hedge funds had stakes in General Motors (NYSE:GM), worth $4.07 billion. As of June 30, Harris Associates holds 34.36 million shares of the company, valued at nearly $1.6 billion, making the firm GM’s most prominent shareholder.

Diamond Hill Capital stated the following regarding General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) in its Q2 2024 investor letter:

“Other top Q2 contributors included Extra Space Storage and General Motors Company (NYSE:GM). Shares of automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM) rose as its internal combustion engine business has also received a boost from the recent slowdown in electric vehicle adoption among consumers. GM also announced additional share repurchases in Q2, reinforcing its commitment to returning cash to shareholders.”

Overall GM ranks 1st on our list of hot EV stocks to buy now. While we acknowledge the potential of General GM as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than GM but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

Read Next: $30 Trillion Opportunity: 15 Best Humanoid Robot Stocks to Buy According to Morgan Stanley and Jim Cramer Says NVIDIA ‘Has Become A Wasteland’.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.