China's GAC Motor Outlines Its U.S. Future in Detroit
CARS.COM — Chinese state-owned automaker GAC Motor returned to the 2017 North American International Auto Show in Detroit and debuted three vehicles: the GS7 mid-size SUV, the GE3 electric car and the EnSpirit plug-in hybrid concept. The company also announced that it will open a research and development center in Silicon Valley in the first half of 2017 and plans to enter the U.S. market in 2019.
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In addition to China, GAC Motor sells cars in the Middle East, Africa and South America. Last year, the company sold 380,000 cars in China.
This isn’t the first time a Chinese automaker has announced plans to enter the U.S. market; other brands have made plans in the past that haven’t come to fruition. However, there are Chinese-built cars already on U.S. roads — they’re just from brands that have been here for a long time. Both Volvo and Buick sell Chinese-made vehicles in the S60 Inscription luxury sedan and Envision compact SUV, respectively.
