GM will begin shipping electric Buick vehicles from China overseas, starting with this SUV
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- GM and SAIC Motor extended their Chinese joint venture SAIC-GM for another 20 years, through 2047, nearly 30 years after the partnership was first established in 1997.
- SAIC-GM will begin exporting Buick NEVs overseas starting in October, targeting the Middle East, Africa, South America, Mexico, and Asia-Pacific, according to GM China president John Roth.
- The Buick Electra E7, a midsize plug-in hybrid SUV priced from RMB 154,900 to RMB 194,900 ($23,000–$28,900), will be the first model shipped internationally, offering a 230 km CLTC electric range and up to 1,630 km combined.
- The E7 delivered over 10,000 units in its first month on sale in China, setting a record among NEVs from a joint venture in the country, per GM.
- SAIC-GM will sharpen its focus on the Buick and Cadillac brands, with plans to launch at least 30 new energy vehicles by 2030 across BEV, PHEV, and extended-range powertrains.
Why it matters: GM is using China-built plug-in hybrid tech as its export vehicle rather than US-assembled models, with the 20-year SAIC-GM extension to 2047 locking the automaker into China manufacturing through the EV transition while targeting five regional markets that have so far been secondary priorities for the brand.
