SAIC-GM, the main joint venture of General Motors in China, has just announced that the company set a new record for monthly sales of electric vehicles in the Asian country.
The automaker sold a total of 7,503 all-electric vehicles across its Buick, Chevrolet and Cadillac brands during the month of June in China, which constitutes the company’s best sales figure for zero-emission models in that country. SAIC-GM does not publish sales figures by nameplate. nor does it usually report sales data by month, but by quarter.
Notably, the 7,503 EVs sold by the GM subsidiary in China represent a dramatic 105 percent year-over-year increase and an even larger 217 percent month-on-month increase according to SAIC-GM’s records. This remarkable level of growth has been fueled by the recent deployment of the company’s first next-generation all-electric vehicles based on the Ultium architecture within the Chinese market.
In fact, the GM joint venture announced that June deliveries of the all-new Buick Electra E5 totaled 3,587 units – accounting for nearly half the total volume achieved by the company’s full line of electric vehicles. As such, the new Buick Electra E5 becomes the most popular model in the automaker’s growing range of zero-emission models in China, which until now has been led by the Chevy Menlo EV.
SAIC-GM Shanghai Ultium Center Factory
SAIC-GM Wuhan Ultium Center Factory
This strong sales performance of GM electric vehicles in China is a result of continued improvement of the company’s powertrain system capabilities and progressive increase in local manufacturing capacity of Ultium platform models. In the past 18 months, SAIC-GM has inaugurated two Ultium powertrain vehicle manufacturing centers, including the new Shanghai Ultium Center and the Wuhan Ultium Center. The construction of a third plant has just been announced as well, and the Yong Due Ultium Center factory will open for business in 2025.
SAIC-GM currently offers three electric vehicles with Ultium Battery technology and Ultium Drive propulsion in the Chinese domestic market. The range is made up of the new Cadillac Lyriq, the all-new Buick Electra E5 as well as the exclusive Buick Electra E4 for that country – with deliveries scheduled to begin during the third quarter. Later this year, the company will reveal Cadillac’s second Ultium-based model, the upcoming sub-Lyriq compact crossover.
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Comments
GM is no longer a American car company.
It’s all about making money.
So Un American.. Sucks
Is that’s why we don’t see GM EV CARS on the road. All in China?
Being about making money seems pretty American to me. And China has been GM’s largest market (by unit sales) for at least a decade.
Probably the biggest factor is that in China they’re sourcing battery cells from CATL, while in the United States the bottleneck has been cell production in the new joint venture with LG.
GM wants to sell more electric vehicles in china, but dillydally in USA. Why did they kill the Bolt.
Seems 13,959 Bolt (EV & EUV) was sold in 2023-Q2. Its impressive, however its winding down.
Cadillac Lyriq sold 1,348 units in 2023-Q2.
Hummer EV sold 42 units down 83% from 272 sold last year in this period.
So called $40,000 Silverado EV now starts at $73,000.
Price of Equinox EV is still a puzzle.
Around 638,000 plugin vehicles were sold in china in 2023-06 which is really very high. So GM is only a small player there and BYD is #1 autoseller overall shows plugins will rule soon.
Given the ever worsening geopolitical situation with China, gm is going to have to make some very tough decisions soon about their ongoing level of investment in China and even more importantly, China’s role in their supply chain.
Forecasts for the relationship between the two countries does not look positive.
Look at the number of battery factories they’re building. And their investment in domestic mining operations (e.g. Lithium Americas). And their partnerships with suppliers (e.g. VAC for magnets) to establish domestic production capacity. And their contract with Global Foundries for exclusive capacity at their new factory in New York.
GM has been very forward-thinking about long-term supply chain considerations, even if their ramp up has been frustratingly slow.
When China goes to nationalize all of the battery and car manufacturing factories, and there is a good historical chance that they may, gm will be begging the U.S. government for a bailout. We need to do another Bud Lite reaction and no longer purchase gm vehicles. I admit that I am pro- U.S. manufacturing and will only buy American made tools even if they cost double or triple the Harbor Freight crap made in China. Even worse, Walmart Chinese products. I still have vivid memories of all the companies that moved their manufacturing to China because of Walmarts encouragement back in the 90’ies. I know that it is business but it sucks. As an American consumer I owe it to the U.S. workers.
Great, GM is doing great in their new homeland of China. Sucks for loyal owners in North America, do not like left behind. Thagt is why we switched to Hyundai made and assembled by fellow U.S.A. workers.