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China's GAC constructing $6.5B site to build EVs that could come to the US

Plant will have 200,000-vehicle yearly capacity.

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At the 2017 Detroit Auto Show, Chinese automaker GAC Motor showed the world three vehicles – two with electric powertrains – under its Trumpchi brand as it prepares to enter the US market. While the Trumpchi name may not survive, GAC is dedicated to building electric vehicles and selling them around the world. To that end, the company has announced that it has begun construction of a $6.5 billion industrial park dedicated to electric and "intelligent" (read: autonomous) vehicles in Guangzhou, China.

Within the park, GAC will invest $679 million in an electric vehicle plant. Expected to be finished in 2018, the plant will be able to produce up to 200,000 EVs every year. That total $6.5 billion investment for the park will be shared with other companies that will be located there. From the image, it looks like there are plans for some solar rooftops as well. The automaker plans to launch at least seven new electric vehicles over the next five years. It previewed a few of these models, with the EnSpirit plug-in hybrid concept and GE3 EV in Detroit, and the GA3S and GS4 plug-in hybrids at Auto Shanghai.

GAC plans to sell its cars around the world, including the US, and is planning to build a research and development facility in North America. The company says it is recruiting talent from Detroit, Silicon Valley, and Boston in order to "enable GAC Motor to better compete in the global market and to succeed on the world stage as an international auto brand with sustainable development capacity," says GAC Motor General Manager Yu Jun.

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