Update | Shanghai powers China’s automotive industry
As home to SAIC Motor Corp, the operational hub of Qoros Automotive, and base to high-performance electric vehicle designer NextEV, the city is the pounding heart of China’s motor industry
Shanghai is arguably the powerhouse of China’s automotive industry. It is the home of SAIC Motor Corp, the largest car manufacturer on China’s
A-share market, and whose affiliated marques include MG, SAIC MAXUS, SAIC Volkswagen, SAIC-GM, Shanghai General Motors Wuling, NAVECO, SAIC-IVECO Hongyan and Shanghai Sunwin Bus Corp.
Last year, SAIC Motor sold 5.902 million units, 5 per cent more than the previous year and, in 2014, climbed 25 places to rank 60th on the annual Fortune Global 500 list, thanks to its US$102.25 billion in revenues.
SAIC Motor Corp is a prolific innovator. At Auto China 2016 in Beijing in April, the group presented more than 100 new models from eight of its self-owned and joint-venture brands. Its highlights included the Roewe RX5, and new energy models such as the latest Roewe plug-in hybrid SUV.
The group’s other new energy models included the Maxus V80 fuel cell, EV80 light vehicle and two plug-ins, the EG10 MPV and Sunwin city bus. The company is also planning a timeshare rental programme for new energy vehicles via its 4,000-plus outlets in over 20 cities, and
the installation of 50,000 public charging locations
across mainland China.
SAIC also highlighted its MG-iGS “intelligent car”; SAIC-GM launched 32 cars, including Cadillac’s CT6 and new XT5; and SAIC Volkswagen showcased the Volkswagen Phideon luxury saloon, the Lamando GTS and the all-new Touran L six-seater.
General Motors’ Shanghai headquarters runs 11 joint ventures, two wholly-owned foreign enterprises and employs over 58,000 people in China, where it delivered 964,000 of its 2.36 million vehicles worldwide in the first quarter of 2016 under the Baojun, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Jiefang and Wuling brands. Its best-selling models are the Buick Envision SUV and the Baojun 560 SUV.
GM also teamed up with SAIC and SAIC-GM in 2009 to launch Shanghai OnStar Telematics Co which provides safety, maintenance and telematics services for vehicles manufactured and sold in China by GM. OnStar has 7 million users worldwide, with almost 1 million in China.
Shanghai is also the operational hub of Qoros Automotive, which was founded in 2007 and has a factory in Changshu, Jiangsu province, about 80km northwest of the city. Qoros built a strong national and international brand identity with the launch of its first production model, the Qoros 3 Sedan in 2013. This year, the marque has launched the Qoros 5 SUV Qoros 3 Q•LECTRIQ and Qoros 5 SUV Q•LECTRIQ concept cars to highlight its new energy strategy. The marque has also launched its QamFree engine and the 3.0 version of its QorosQloud, the car connectivity system.
High-performance electric vehicle designer and developer NextEV is also based in Shanghai. The marque competes in the Formula E Championship and is reportedly working on a plug-in supercar that may be launched this year.
