Shanghai General Motors (Shanghai GM) has completed its new $US249 million plant.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
The facility, which is adjacent to its original manufacturing facility in Shanghai, more than doubles the annual capacity of the flagship joint venture of General Motors in China to 320,000 vehicles.
Shanghai GM’s new plant consists of three shops – body, paint and general assembly – and occupies a total area of 180,000 square metres. Construction was completed in 20 months, a record for China’s automotive industry.
The initial annual capacity of the new plant, which operates on two shifts and has 941 employees, is 170,000 vehicles. It officially began production of the Buick Excelle lower-medium sedan, Buick Excelle HRV hatchback and Cadillac CTS luxury sedan on Tuesday.
Shanghai GM claims one of the largest product and brand portfolios among joint venture automakers in China. Its line of Cadillac, Buick and Chevrolet products covers segments ranging from luxury vehicles to small cars. The joint venture between GM and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. Group (SAIC) plans to launch an unprecedented number of new products this year.
The new plant will have the flexibility to produce a variety of different models on the same line. It has also been designed to be environmentally compatible. Its paint shop, for instance, uses a world-class water-borne paint process that reduces pollution.
In addition to its two plants in Shanghai, Shanghai GM also manages Shanghai GM Dong Yue Motors Co. Ltd., which is located in Yantai, Shandong, and Shanghai GM (Shenyang) Norsom Motors Co. Ltd., which is located in Shenyang, Liaoning. The combined capacity of these facilities is close to 500,000 vehicles a year.
During the first four months of this year, Shanghai GM sold 72,876 vehicles. Its sales were the highest of any passenger car makers in China in March and April. In 2004, Shanghai GM sold a record 252,869 vehicles, an increase of 25.7% from the previous year.
