GM looking to double sales in China by 2013?
General Motors sold 1.09 million vehicles in China in 2008, and the automaker wants to nearly double that figure to two million by 2013. A GM spokeswoman in China said they'll do that by introducing thirty -- that's right, 30 – "new or upgraded models" over the next five years. The company's March sales were up in China, along with everyone else's, thanks to China's new car buying incentive. With Q1 sales at 363,701 units, that would put GM on course for nearly 1.5 million cars sold in 2009.
In the short term, the sales targets rely on the global economy not getting any worse, and the Chinese government artificially propping up sales. Over the long term, GM must be hoping that by the time the economy turns around it will still be a strong enough to take advantage of its dominant position, its eight Chinese joint ventures and China-specific development, and the allure of those 30 new and revised models. If it can't, then Volkswagen looks to be the wolf in the shadows, having also pledged to double its sales to two million units by 2018.
[Source: Reuters]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Sektor 4:41PM (4/13/2009)
... And that's the joke.
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Engo P 4:55PM (4/13/2009)
So much more ambition on that side of the world compared to this one. That car looks like it could go off road though.
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MikeofLA 4:59PM (4/13/2009)
Isn't this putting the cart before the horse.
Hey GM, you need to survive to 2013 before you double anything. I hope you do, but let's take this one step at a time.
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elprogramer 2:27AM (4/14/2009)
The automotive industry works four years in advance. This is literally taking it "one-step" at a time.
JeremyClarkson 5:05PM (4/13/2009)
I know this is ridiculous, but BUICK and CADDY sell like crazy over there, even though they have to pay twice as much for the same cars we get here... they just like it, so they buy it, which I don't understand.
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Sektor 5:25PM (4/13/2009)
Chinese Buicks aren't the same as American Buicks.
Julius 6:31PM (4/13/2009)
Hey - GM is going with its strengths.
Like the US, the Chinese like their "imports".
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Aprime 6:44PM (4/13/2009)
"The Detriot automaker plans to add more than 30 new or upgraded models in China in the next five years, Sophia Luan, GM's spokeswoman in China, was quoted as saying."
Detriot
They so did that on purpose.
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tekd 7:16PM (4/13/2009)
G*ddammit GM, are you guys seriously going to pull this 30 model crap in China too now? Since I find it rather dubious that they mean 30 platforms, I can only assume that this is GM expanding their retarded rebadgerama over to the Chinese market. Why GM? WHY!?! For once can you idiots keep your badge engineering tendencies in check and just focus on 2-3 brands without too much overlap? MAYBE?!?
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tekd 7:18PM (4/13/2009)
BTW Toyota and Honda both overtook VW and GM in China in the last few years even though VW has spammed the Chinese market with a bazillion different (and similar) models. Why would GM copy this kinda retarded tactic. Ugh.
elprogramer 2:29AM (4/14/2009)
Because they have a huge market share in a market of one billion plus people where all people pay for is the badge.
R Lynn 10:57AM (5/14/2009)
What about DOUBLING Sales in the US? Sending the wrong message---as if China sales are more important than the US sales.
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Richard S. 12:27PM (7/10/2009)
Unlike in the U.S., GM has a good name in China and the Buick brand has value.
So it seems logical that GM can capitalize on its good perception and expand its sales in a country whose car sales are also expanding rapidly.
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