GM plans to launch 10 electric, hybrid vehicles in China by ’20
shanghai — General Motors Co plans to launch 10 electric and gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles in China by 2020, an executive said on Friday, as automakers speed up the rollout of alternative vehicles under pressure from Beijing to promote the industry.
GM will start production of a pureelectric model in China within two years, Matt Tsien, president of GM China, told a news conference during the Shanghai auto show. He said GM expects annual sales of 150,000 electric and hybrid cars in China by 2020 and possibly in excess of 500,000 by 2025.
Ford Motor Co, Volkswagen, Nissan Motor and other automakers also have announced aggressive plans to make and sell electric vehicles in China, the biggest auto market by number of units sold. On Tuesday, GM unveiled a hybrid version of the Chevrolet Volt to be manufactured in China and sold under its Buick brand.
China’s communist government has the world’s most ambitious electric car goals, hoping both to clean up smog-choked cities and to take a lead in an emerging industry. Regulators are pressing foreign brands to help develop the industry.
Regulators jolted the industry by proposing a requirement that electrics account for at least 8 per cent of each brand’s production by next year, rising to 10 per cent in 2019 and 12 per cent in 2020. Automakers say they may be unable to meet those targets and regulators have suggested they might be reduced or postponed.
Beijing also is due to enforce what auto executives say are the world’s most stringent emissions standards. They say that is likely to require all manufacturers to include electrics in their lineup to meet targets for average fleet emissions. — AP