SAIC-GM, a joint venture between General Motors and SAIC Motor, has opened a new electric vehicle (EV) production plant in Wuhan, China. The facility, located at the company’s existing production site in the city, has already begun production of EVs based on GM’s Ultium platform.
SAIC-GM has been operating in Wuhan since 2015 and already produces three New Energy Vehicles at the location, including the Chevrolet Menlo and Buick Velite 6 in fully electric versions, as well as a plug-in hybrid version of the Buick model.
SAIC-GM has announced plans to launch the Buick Electra E5 electric crossover in China in Q1 of this year, with deliveries expected to begin in H1 2023. The Electra E5 will be produced at the company’s new Ultium-only plant in Wuhan, China and will feature “local battery solutions tailored for China that support high thermal stability, low degradation and long battery life,” according to SAIC-GM. These local battery solutions will utilize NMC chemistry and cells from CATL, while GM’s North American Ultium models will use cells from the company’s joint venture with LG Energy Solution.
SAIC-GM has opened a new electric vehicle production plant in Wuhan, China, which joins the company’s first Ultium production site in Shanghai. The Shanghai plant, which was commissioned in October 2021, began producing the Cadillac Lyriq crossover at the “Ultium Center” a few months later. With the two plants, SAIC-GM plans to produce more than 10 Ultium-based models across various brands and segments.
Buick, which is owned by SAIC-GM, announced its plans to become an all-electric car brand by the end of the decade in June 2022. Buick has sold more than 10 million vehicles in China since its introduction to the market in 1998, making China the brand’s biggest market. In November 2021, General Motors announced plans to launch more than 15 electric models based on the Ultium platform in China by 2025.