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Customer LoginsGM announces vehicle electrification roadmap for Chinese market
General Motors (GM) has announced its near-term vehicle electrification plans for China, focusing on the upcoming Buick LaCrosse and Chevrolet Malibu XL Hybrid, as well as the Cadillac CT6 PHEV.
IHS Automotive Perspective
- Significance: At an event at General Motors' (GM) technical centre in Shanghai, China, the automaker's executive director of electrification has discussed the company's initial plans for electrification of vehicles in the Chinese market.
- Implications: The discussion focused on the near-term introductions of a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) Cadillac CT6 and hybrid powertrains for Buick LaCrosse and Chevrolet Malibu XL. These are just the start for GM, which has already confirmed that 10 new energy vehicle (NEV) products are part of the 60 product launches it is planning through 2020.
- Outlook: Local battery production underscores that the company is expecting carry out production of hybrid vehicles well beyond the three announced. IHS Automotive forecasts that, in the next decade, GM's production of electric vehicle (EV), hybrid, and PHEVs will grow from nearly 62,000 units in 2017 to more than 1.35 million in 2023 and 3.0 million at the end of the forecast period. IHS Automotive forecasts much of this production will be mild hybrids (as much as 75% in most years), followed by full hybrids and PHEVs. Because of the size of the Chinese market and the potential for government support of NEVs, GM's production of alternative powertrains is forecast to be significantly larger in China than in North America, particularly in the second half of the next decade.
General Motors (GM) made an announcement on 26 April summarising the company's plans for new energy vehicle (NEV) products in the Chinese market, including that it will fully localise battery pack production for NEVs through its joint venture with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp, SAIC-GM. The battery packs will be assembled at a new battery assembly plant in Shanghai. The overview of the automaker's plans was provided by GM's executive director for electrification, Larry Nitz, at a workshop at the company's Pan-Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC) in Shanghai, as well as in a press statement.
Nitz said in the statement, "Our electrification approach is about delivering an industry-leading driving experience. China is an important market in which GM's technology and scale can deliver solutions for customers and bring societal benefits."
Beyond that vision statement of GM's approach to the Chinese market, Nitz largely only confirmed product introductions that have been previously announced. The expansion of GM's electric vehicle (EV) portfolio in China will be led by the Chevrolet Malibu XL hybrid and the Buick LaCrosse hybrid, as well as a plug-in hybrid EV (PHEV) Cadillac CT6.
The full-hybrid system of the Malibu XL Hybrid and the LaCrosse Hybrid uses a 1.8-litre direct-injection 4-cylinder gasoline (petrol) engine mated to an integrated and modular two-motor electric drive unit. An 80-cell, 1.5-kilowatt-hour (kWh) high-performance lithium-ion battery pack powers the electric drive unit. This is the same hybrid drive unit used for the US-market Malibu Hybrid, although that is the standard-wheelbase version of the car, rather than China's XL version.
The Cadillac CT6 PHEV, introduced at the 2015 Shanghai auto show, will be capable of 80 kilometres of all-electric range and will be paired with Cadillac's 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder gasoline engine.
Outlook and implications
Overall, GM is planning 60 new and refreshed models for the China market. Localised battery production is important to the automaker's Chinese strategy as well, and underscores that the company is expecting production of hybrid vehicles well beyond the three announced. IHS Automotive forecasts that, in the next decade, GM's production of EV, hybrid, and PHEVs will grow from nearly 62,000 units in 2017 to more than 1.35 million in 2023 and 3.0 million at the end of the forecast period. IHS Automotive forecasts that much of this production will be mild hybrids (as much as 75% in most years), followed by full hybrids and PHEVs. Because of the size of the Chinese market, and the potential for government support of NEVs, GM's production of alternative powertrains is forecast to be significantly larger in China than in North America, particularly in the second half of the next decade.
While the GM executive's discussion reportedly focused on the near-term introductions of the PHEV Cadillac CT6 and hybrid powertrains for the Buick LaCrosse and the Chevrolet Malibu XL, these are just the start for GM, which has already confirmed that 10 NEV products are part of the 60 product launches it is planning through 2020.
SAIC-GM, previously known as Shanghai GM, introduced the Buick and Cadillac products in China, although it had not previously discussed the details of the Malibu XL Hybrid, which mirrors the LaCrosse. The Buick LaCrosse Hybrid was revealed in April and the Malibu XL was launched in March. The Cadillac CT6 PHEV has also already been announced, including that production of the variant will only be in China and it will be exported to the United States (see United States - China: 14 January 2016: GM to export Chinese-made Cadillac to US), making it the second GM product to be built in China and exported to the US, after the Buick Envision sport utility vehicle (SUV).
About this article
The above article is from IHS Automotive Same-Day Analysis of automotive news, events and trends, and is a deliverable of the World Markets Automotive Service. The service averages thirty stories per day and also provides competitor and country intelligence. Get a free trial.