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  • GM set for China growth

    Nov 02
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    General Motors (GM.N) is planning to build small battery electric vehicles in China within two years, and to increase overall production in China to meet local demand, executives said on Monday.

    The small "city" type battery electric vehicles are expected to be exported at some point, possibly even to the United States, Tim Lee, GM's chief of international operations said on the sidelines of the Detroit auto show.

    "We are probably within a couple of years of being in ... production on battery electric vehicles specifically for China," Lee said told reporters.

    GM, which completed the largest ever IPO last year, is focusing on China and the United States as two critical markets.

    GM is shipping vehicles to other countries in Asia and to Chile, but it has no plans at this time for exporting China-built vehicles to the United States, Lee said.

    "But save that thought. Next year I might have a different answer," Lee said.

    Including its joint ventures in China, GM claims a 13 percent market share in China, the largest in the industry. It is the top-selling automaker in the United States.

    GM plans to introduce the Chevrolet Volt to China later in 2011. The Volt was awarded North American Car of the Year for 2011 at the auto show on Monday.

    GM has plans with China partner SAIC on the battery electric vehicles and is now testing demonstration cars, Lee said, adding that those cars eventually could be brought to the United States.

    "This is going to be most likely a constrained availability within China based on Chinese demand, and we want to have opportunity to feed other markets from other potential manufacturing sites," Lee said.

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