General Motors Co. and its joint ventures in China reported a 25% decline in first-quarter sales with 462,000 vehicles delivered in the country.
All of GM’s brands saw a decline: Buick’s sales were down 35%, Chevrolet 34%, Cadillac 32%, Wuling 13% Baojun 87%.
The decline comes after the China Passenger Car Association said passenger car retail sales in the country dropped 20% in the first two months of the year, the Wall Street Journal reported. The drop was a result of tax cuts on auto sales and electric vehicle subsidies ending.
GM noted that 2023 will be a breakout year for its electric vehicles in China. The automaker plans to deliver more than 20 new and refreshed models in China this year and one third of them will be electric. Buick’s first model based on GM’s new electric Ultium platform — the Electra E5 — will go on sale in April.
Earlier this week, GM reported a year-over-year 17.6% increase of its U.S. sales during the first quarter. GM’s U.S. dealers sold 603,208 new vehicles in the first three months of 2023 compared to 512,846 a year ago. For the first time, GM sold more than 20,000 electric vehicles in the United States as it pursues building 1 million EVs in North America by mid-decade. It’s on track to build 50,000 through June.
khall@detroitnews.com
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