The Chief Executive of General Motors is warning it will take decades for electric vehicles to take over as the dominant form of road transport.

Mary Barra told Bloomberg Television that American drivers will go electric, but it will take a long time for most of the 250 million vehicles on US roads to be battery powered.

“We believe the transition will happen over time,” Barra said on “Leadership Live With David Rubenstein” on Bloomberg Television. When asked if all cars will be electric in 20 years, she said that may be too soon. “It will happen in a little bit longer period, but it will happen.”

The Government here is outlawing the sale of traditional internal-combustion engines in 2035.

Barra added that she thought driverless cars could be on the road this decade. “Our Cruise team is continuing to develop technology so it’s safer than human driver,” she said. “I think you’ll see it clearly within five years.”

(Picture – General Motors)