Wuling in China
SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Co. Ltd. (SAIC-GM-Wuling) was officially launched on November 18, 2002. Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. Group (SAIC) has a 50.1 percent stake, GM China a 44.0 percent stake and Wuling Motors a 5.9 percent stake. SAIC-GM-Wuling is based in Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, in southwestern China.
SAIC-GM-Wuling builds and sells both commercial vehicles and passenger vehicles. These include the Wuling Xingwang, Wuling Sunshine, Wuling Yangguang, Wuling Hong Tu, Wuling Rong Guang and Wuling Hong Guang minivans; the Wuling 1010 regular cab and crew cab small pickups, Wuling D150 regular cab and crew cab small pickups, and Wuling N1 small pickup; and the Chevrolet Le Chi mini-car. It will begin offering products under the new Baojun passenger car brand in 2011.
SAIC-GM-Wuling was the first vehicle manufacturer in China to surpass annual production and sales of 1 million vehicles. In 2010, SAIC-GM-Wuling’s domestic sales totaled 1,226,860 units. It captured about 40 percent of China’s mini-commercial vehicle segment. The Wuling Sunshine minivan has been the best-selling vehicle in China eight consecutive years. SAIC-GM-Wuling is China’s leading exports of mini-vehicles; its products are sold in approximately 40 markets.
SAIC-GM-Wuling continues to expand to keep up with the rising demand for its products. In 2005, it signed an equity agreement to purchase a manufacturing facility in Qingdao, Shandong. SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Co. Ltd. Qingdao Branch Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of SAIC-GM-Wuling and the company’s first manufacturing facility outside its home base, began production of Wuling brand vehicles in the second half of 2005. In 2007, SAIC-GM-Wuling began production at its new RMB 2 billion engine plant, the largest new investment in the company’s history. In 2008, SAIC-GM-Wuling completed the expansion of its manufacturing facility in Qingdao and Phase II of its Liuzhou West Plant. In 2009, it opened its new engine plant in Qingdao. In 2010, SAIC-GM-Wuling announced the establishment of a new passenger vehicle production base in Liuzhou.
