Will Cadillac EVs like the LYRIQ dominate the Chinese market?
Photo: Cadillac
General Motors and China have a long and fascinating history together. For more than 20 years, GM has enjoyed a strong footing in the market. Today, almost a fifth of the auto giant’s profits come from Chinese sales. However, as times change and competition increases, GM is finding new ways to stay at the top of the game. A new focus on Cadillac EVs and cost-efficient SUVs might give them the added advantage they’re looking for.
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Cadillac EVs and winning the Chinese market
General Motors has spent the last few years overhauling its offerings in the Chinese market. With a rise in the local popularity of EVs and SUVs, GM has switched its focus to cater to these segments. Today, a majority of the vehicles offered in China are electric and/or SUVs.
However, GM’s plans are far from complete. The next major part of its strategy in China involves the Cadillac brand. With a new wave of Cadillac EVs on the horizon, the brand would appear to be the perfect choice for keeping GM the dominant automaker in the Asian country. “This market is rapidly electrifying. Cadillac is on a path to very heavy electrification,” says GM’s Chinese head, Julian Blissett, in an interview with Reuters. “In the next five years, more than 50% of our capital and engineering deployment will go towards electrification and autonomous-drive technology. That should give you an indication where GM is betting on its future.”
In addition to changing tastes and a slumping economy, GM also faces rivalry in the region. Offerings from Honda, VW, Toyota, and Tesla represent solid competition. But with its new, Cadillac EV-focused strategy, GM plans on staying at the top of the market.
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Will Cadillac EVs be the key to maintaining sales dominance in China? Only time — and the wallets of Chinese consumers — will tell.
Daniel DiManna hails from little Sylvania, Ohio. A graduate of Lourdes University with a degree in Fine Arts (which has thus far proven about as useful as a wet paper towel), Daniel’s hobbies/passions include film history, reading, fiction/non-fiction writing, sculpting, gaining weight, and adding more toys, posters, books, model kits, DVD’s, screen-used props, and other ephemera to his already shamefully monumental collection of Godzilla/movie monster memorabilia. His life goals include a return trip to Japan, getting a podcast off the ground, finishing his novel, and yes, buying even more monster toys. See more articles by Daniel.
