GM Egypt to produce the Chevrolet Move in 2012; first SAIC-GM-Wuling vehicle assembled outside of China
22 November 2011
SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW) announced today that the assembly of its Chevrolet Move—sold as the Wuling Rong Guang in China—will be assembled at General Motors Egypt starting in the third quarter of 2012.
Vehicle kits will be supplied by GM China’s SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW) joint venture. The Chevrolet Move will be the first Chinese vehicle assembled by GM in Egypt and the first SGMW vehicle assembled outside China.
GM Egypt plans to produce about 5,000 Chevrolet Move units annually; the Chevrolet Move will become the second SGMW product offered by GM in Egypt. In 2009, GM began selling the imported Chevrolet N200 passenger van in Egypt and other African markets.
Additional body styles are planned based on the Chevrolet Move (N300) platform for production in Egypt.
The N300 was introduced by SGMW in 2008 to address demand in China for a spacious vehicle for family and business use. It is one of GM’s best-selling products in China; in the first 10 months of 2011, more than 290,000 were sold.
GM started assembling vehicles in Egypt in 1985. It currently produces light commercial vehicles, light duty trucks and passenger vehicles. In 2010, GM sold nearly 68,000 vehicles in Egypt, where it has been the market leader for the past three years.
SGMW is a joint venture between GM China, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation Group (SAIC) and Wuling Motors. It was established in 2002 and is based in Liuzhou, Guangxi. SGMW manufactures a range of Wuling brand mini-trucks and passenger vehicles as well as the Baojun 630 midsize sedan.
Good move by GM. This is or may be the way to regain world market share. Exporting vehicles from USA has become almost non-profitable.
Posted by: HarveyD | 22 November 2011 at 06:48 AM
"Exporting vehicles from USA has become almost non-profitable.", fortunately there are well paid US officers and $50 billion unrepaid tax dollars.
Posted by: kelly | 22 November 2011 at 10:21 AM
@ Kelly
290,000 units sold in China...5,000 to be assembled in Egypt...this is a rounding error, not a trend.
@ HarveyD,
US manufacturers have plants overseas, the same as BMW, Toyota, Honda etc. have plants in the US.
This article, http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2011-03-07-carexports07_ST_N.htm , says Auto exports from the US are on the rise, although many of them are from foreign-owned plants such as BMW's Spartansburg South Carolina plant.
Posted by: HealthyBreeze | 23 November 2011 at 03:08 PM
Summary, ~1.5 million cars will be exported from the US this year.
Posted by: HealthyBreeze | 23 November 2011 at 03:09 PM