Chevrolet has set some very lofty goals for itself, especially in Europe and Asia. But it looks like the hotly-anticipated Chevrolet Volt won’t be wearing Chevy’s bow tie when the extended-range EV launches in China next year. Instead, Chinese patent filings show the Volt with a Buick badge and Ampera nameplate. In fact, the Volt will be sold in no less than five brands worldwide:
- 2011 Chevrolet Volt (US)
- 2012 Opel Ampera (Europe)
- 2012 Vauxhall Ampera (UK)
- 2013 Holden Ampera (Australia)
- 2012 Buick Ampera (China)
All variants will be built alongside the Chevrolet Volt at the Detroit-Hamtramck factory. From there, global variants will be exported to their respective markets.
GM’s decision to sell the Volt as a Buick in China is most likely due to the brand’s popularity in that country. Buick carries a premium status despite Cadillac’s presence in China since 2004. The Buick Ampera will be introduced to the Chinese Market as a 2012 model, but we have two question about this development:
- Will the Chinese embrace this?
- With five models of the Volt being sold worldwide, could there be room for another GM brand to have its own model?
It looks like only time will tell.
[Source: The Car Connection]
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