Shortly after announcing that its Brazilian subsidiary has begun collaborating on the development of next-generation electric vehicles, General Motors has revealed that it seeks to becomean pioneer EV manufacturing pioneer in Brazil.
GM’s top executive in South America openly revealed that the company intends to become the first automaker to produce EVs in Brazil, the largest auto market and the main manufacturing center in the entire region. So far, no auto company has announced concrete plans to produce zero-emission vehicles in the country that mostly builds economy cars and compact pickups.
“In the current conditions of the Brazilian market, we will still have a long life of vehicles with combustion engines,” said President and CEO of GM South America, Santiago Chamorro, in a statement to the Brazilian media. “But we will probably be pioneers in industrializing electric vehicles in the country and that will not be too far away,” he added.
This shows that Brazil will not only play a strategic role in the certification tests necessary to adapt future GM EVs to legislation and customer preferences in different markets, but also has the potential to start manufacturing electric cars in the near future. This momentous decision would reinforce the company’s technology leadership and further accelerate the rollout of its ambitious global zero-emissions strategy.
Currently, GM’s electric vehicle manufacturing is concentrated exclusively in the three North American countries and China – which have received large investments to build next-generation EVs with Ultium Battery technology and their respective Ultium Drive powertrains. The eventual addition of Brazil as a new EV production center could occur with the company’s next local investment plan, for the second half of the decade (2025-2029).
Although the company has barely revealed its intention to manufacture EVs in Brazil with no concrete plans to do so, it is likely that the potential production of electric vehicles in that country will focus on Chevrolet compact cars and entry-level crossovers to supply Latin America. GM has highlighted the high flexibility of the Ultium architecture for vehicles of all sizes and price levels, as well as its interest in taking advantage of the favorable conditions in Brazil.
“Our plan for Chevrolet in Brazil is to offer the most comprehensive line of EVs on the market, which has the potential to become a hub for the production and export of technologies and electric vehicles, considering the adequate conditions we have here, such as raw material for the production of batteries, qualified engineering, a well-developed industrial park and a large potential consumer market,” Chamorro concluded.
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Comments
GM has also made plans to attract more customers, IE market share in North America, yet has failed to do so. It’s one thing to run your mouth, another to accomplish your goals. We’ll see if GM gets EV’s to Brazil before the EV collapse.
😂😂😂😂😂