GM has announced a new global continuity plan developed with partners and suppliers that is intended to reduce uncertainty in the face of a recent surge in COVID-19 in China.
Per a recent report from Reuters, the current COVID-19 surge in China is the worst that the country has seen in the last two years, resulting in a significant drop in auto sales last month. GM’s new-vehicle sales in China fell 21.4 percent in Q1 of 2022 to 613,000 units, with sales of new Chevy vehicles, GM’s best-selling brand in the country, down almost 20 percent.
To combat the surge, China has adopted widespread lockdown measures as part of its latest “zero-COVID” strategy. Non-essential businesses have been forced to close, while schools and public transport have been suspended as well. Travel into and out of the country is severely limited, as is domestic travel.
Nevertheless, GM said that it was still on track to launch 20 new and refreshed models in the Chinese market, despite the outbreak and subsequent lockdowns. What’s more, the automaker announced late last month that the outbreak had not affected production at the GM Jinqiao facility in Shanghai. Reports indicate that local authorities are allowing the facility to remain open in a “closed loop” system that minimizes employee exposure, with workers sleeping, eating, and living inside the factory, thus creating a localized bubble. Other automakers, such as Volkswagen, have also adopted a “closed loop” system in order to continue production in China.
To note, the GM Jinqiao facility produces a variety of Cadillac models for the Chinese market, including the Cadillac CT4, Cadillac CT5, Cadillac CT6, Cadillac XT4, Cadillac XT5, and Cadillac XT6. The facility produces a number of Chevy and Buick model as well. The facility has an estimated annual production capacity of 160,000 vehicles, and is operated by GM and its local state-owned joint venture partner, SAIC.
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Comments
any doubts on where “covid” originated from should be pretty obvious by now
The US was funding the research because political correctness will not allow dangerous disease research inside USA anymore .
Sadly we can’t argue with this, most issues like this are funded here. We educate and train, thank all taxpayers, the worlds worst people and then try to control American’s based on what we’ve trained people to do.
James: It was joint venture research. C-19 was fabricated in the USA. Transported to Wuhan for further analysis and research. A lab worker or workers didn’t fully sterilize and carried the virus outside the lab.
China is very sloppy. Whereas the Germans are extremely neat and tidy. Would you eat dogs, cats, rats, bats for dinner?
Bring on the Soy sauce.
Chinamen are reaping what they sow!
Louis Vutton handbags?
Of course it was developed in the chinese wuhan lab.
Thanks J Lo!
I’m raising pangolins to export to China!
“with workers sleeping, eating, and living inside the factory”
In other words, they are being held prisoner.
Way to go GM. You should be ashamed of yourselves.
I see GM becoming primarily a vehicle importer within the next 10 years. Trucks will be made in Canada an Mexico, automobiles in Korea and China.