When you think of the best electric vehicle stocks, General Motors (GM 0.09%) is probably not the first one to come to mind. But don't be so quick to count it out. From its brand loyalty to its autonomous EV potential, General Motors could be a very different company a decade from now, and in this Jan. 4 Fool Live clip, Fool.com contributor Matt Frankel, CFP, and Industry Focus host Jason Moser talk about why investors could be handsomely rewarded.
Matthew Frankel: I'd have to say one of my favorite non-financial picks going forward over the next, say 10 years, not just in 2021, is General Motors, GM.
Jason Moser: General Motors. Interesting.
Frankel: I think there's a ton of potential in their EV space which they're investing heavily in, which I mentioned in a previous show and got absolutely skewered on Reddit for. I got called a boomer five times on Reddit. I don't think people know what that means.
Moser: [laughs] I saw you say something about that on Twitter (TWTR +0.00%). I just like, man...
Frankel: I'm 38 years old. I don't think people really get what that means. [laughs] Anyway, General Motors, they have a ton of potential in the EV space. I think they're brand loyalty is under-considered asset there. For example, I said I used to own a Camaro. People who own Camaros love their Camaros. If you make an electric version of that, they're not going to buy a Tesla (TSLA +0.42%). They're going to buy it, assuming performance and reliability are similar. People like a Suburban or a Yukon or any of the other really popular GM models. You make an electric version of that, that's a built-in loyal consumer base.
Moser: Yeah. I think you're probably right.
Frankel: EVs, when done correctly, are a high-profit margin type of vehicle. They sell at a premium. I mean, the Hummer that's coming out, it's going to be over 100 grand. Reservations for the launch model are already sold out. I mean, people are really underestimating this brand loyalty when it comes to GM. Not only that, if we look at their defense department potential, they've already said that they see their own potential in defense with EV technology as a $25 billion opportunity. Then there's the autonomous vehicles through their Cruise division. Don't forget that. That could be a huge over the long term. I'd argue that their autonomous technology is just as good as anybody's. Their long-term goal is like an autonomous ride-sharing service, essentially like Uber (UBER 1.53%) without drivers. That could revolutionize transportation, and they have the deep pockets to make it happen. GM is not as burdened with debt as people seem to think they are. That's another thing that commonly comes up. "Yeah. Well, they have a ton of debt." They have some. They have more than some of these new EV players do. But it's not a burden. They're investing in the right ways in R&D. Regardless of what folks on Reddit will say about this, I think Tesla's market cap is achievable by GM over the next decade if all things go well in those three categories, EVs, defense, and automated driving. That's one that outside of the financial space. I know I've ranted about it for a minute.
