Chevy Volts Testing Chinese Market Now

April 7th, 2012 by Zachary Shahan

Just prior to news last week that Chevy Volt sales are way up in the US, GM announced that it was sending some Volts to car-booming China to test the market for them there.

“GM has signed a memorandum of understanding with China Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATARC) to manage a fleet of Chevy Volts for ‘data collection purposes’,” Chris DeMorro writes on sister site Gas2.

“It’s no secret though that GM wants to prop up Volt sales, and where better than the Chinese market? Auto sales are booming in China, and the central government is raining money down on carmakers and consumers who opt to build and buy fuel-efficient hybrid, electric, and fuel-cell vehicles.”

The Volt’s cousin, the Opel Ampera, is doing quite well in Europe, and it won the European Car of the Year Award there (reportedly the first “American-made” car to win that award). So, it’s shown that it can do well on other continents. Note, however, that China’s got different rules for foreign and domestically built cars, and GM has to do some maneuvering to get the Volt a fighting chance.

“Recent changes to the tax and rebate program have shut out companies like GM from benefitting from these subsidies. That’s where CATARC comes in. This influential lobbying group helps shape government policy in regards to EVs. If GM can get the Volt into China, and benefit from government subsidies, they could have a hit on their hands (though it’d probably be better received if it wore a Buick badge).”

What do you think? Will the Volt make it into the Chinese care market? And if so, will it succeed there?

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Tags: Chevy Volt, chevy volt china, China, china evs, Volt, volt china

About the Author

Zachary Shahan spends most of his time here on CleanTechnica as the director/chief editor. Otherwise, he's probably enthusiastically fulfilling his duties as the director/editor of Solar Love, EV Obsession, Planetsave, or Bikocity. Zach is recognized globally as a solar energy, electric car, and wind energy expert. If you would like him to speak at a related conference or event, connect with him via social media. You can connect with Zach on any popular social networking site you like. Links to all of his main social media profiles are on ZacharyShahan.com.

http://www.thepracticalliberal.com/ Bob McDermand

I have dealt with Chinese businesses before they will tear it apart and steal the technology with a smile on their face. GM is idiotic to grant them access.
- Bob_Wallace
  
  I would bet that someone in China bought a Volt last year and tore it apart.
  
  I would bet that car companies in Germany, France, Korea, Japan, and other countries did exactly the same thing.
  
  Do you know that GM is a major supplier of vehicles in China – that’s China is one of their major markets?
  - Jason M
    
    I am a researcher for automotive assembly line systems in China, I agreed with Wallace, China does steal alot of technology from other companies, working with them isn’t the problem.
    
    Also every automobile company does reverse engineering, GM is working with SAIC to promote there automobiles to the Chinese Market, Chinese automobiles can’t compete with International (Original Equipment Manufacturing) OEM’s because of the lack of technology and being behind their competition.
    
    SAIC may be a competitor, but also a promoter for sales