GM China
GM China 2012 Milestones
January 5: GM delivered a Chevrolet Volt to the China Electric Vehicle International
Demonstration Zone in Shanghai’s Jiading district for testing.
February 1: GM completed installation of the first Sunlogics Green Zone ® solar
charging station at its China and International Operations headquarters in Shanghai.
February 15: Shanghai GM launched the Chevrolet Malibu midsize sedan.
February 28: The China Automotive Energy Research Center (CAERC) – GM’s
partnership with SAIC and Tsinghua University – issued the China Automotive Energy
Outlook 2012, the first report of its kind that provides a comprehensive scientific
analysis of automotive energy in China.
March 2: The GM Restoring Nature’s Habitat Project was launched by GM China in
cooperation with the China Environmental Protection Foundation (CEPF) to improve
ecology, protect biodiversity and educate the public on the importance of preserving the
environment.
March 26: GM China signed a memorandum of understanding with the China
Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATARC) to manage GM’s Chevrolet
Volt demonstration fleet in Beijing and help organize workshops and seminars in
support of vehicle electrification.
March 27: PATAC opened the first climate wind tunnel operated by a joint venture in
China.
April 23: GM and its joint ventures in China began showcasing 41 production and
concept vehicles at Auto China 2012 in Beijing. Among the vehicles was the Chevrolet
Malibu with a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine, which made its global debut.
April 23: GM showed the design of the Chevrolet EN-V 2.0 concept, the next version of
its revolutionary mobility concept from Expo 2010.
April 28: The 2012 GM China Consumer Fuel Saving Challenge, which demonstrated
the fuel economy of GM vehicles built and sold in China, began in Chengdu.
May 21: The GM China Advanced Technical Center announced that its micro-foundry
and formability lab had successfully completed the initial low-pressure casting of a
magnesium part, marking a milestone in lightweight automotive materials research.
May 31: Shanghai GM Dong Yue Motors completed the third phase capacity expansion
of its vehicle manufacturing facility in Yantai, Shandong, doubling annual production
capacity to 480,000 vehicles.
June 6: Shanghai GM broke ground for a vehicle manufacturing facility in Wuhan.
June 11: GM delivered a Chevrolet Volt to the Tianjin Eco-City to assess its vehicle
charging infrastructure and provide feedback on how the Volt performs in a planned
charging environment.
June 27: GM signed a memorandum of understanding with the Sino-Singapore Tianjin
Eco-City Investment and Development Co. Ltd. and the Tianjin Eco-City Administrative
Committee to collaborate on assessing the real-world application of GM’s EN-V 2.0
concept in the Tianjin Eco-City.
2
July 10: GM Egypt began production of the Chevrolet Move passenger van, the first
vehicle from SAIC-GM-Wuling manufactured outside China.
August 15: GM announced that it had begun fabricating and testing prototype battery
cells and complete systems at the GM China Advanced Technical Center.
August 15: The Le Chi mini-car joined the Baojun brand lineup.
August 22: GM China and SAIC-GM-Wuling launched the Back to 100 Rural Hospitals
and SGMW Motorcade health care initiatives.
September 10: GM China and Hudong launched the 2012 GM Safe Road Project with
the theme of “Safety Belt, Safe Journey.”
September 12: GM China, Tongji University and the Virginia Tech Transportation
Institute launched China’s first Naturalistic Driving Study to explore the behavior of local
vehicle users.
September 14: SAIC-GM-Wuling announced that it had sold its 1 millionth vehicle in
China in 2012.
September 21: GM sold its 2 millionth vehicle in China in 2012, the third time in its
history and the earliest ever that it achieved the milestone.
September 22: GM China, SAIC, Shanghai GM and PATAC opened the Guangde
Proving Ground, China’s largest facility of its kind.
September 28: GM launched China’s first new energy vehicle (NEV) first responder
training program to teach public safety professionals how to safely rescue crash victims
in hybrid, electric and other NEVs.
3
October 1: Bob Socia officially became President, GM China, and Chief Country
Operations Officer, China, India and ASEAN.
October 10: Shanghai GM launched the Encore, Buick’s first SUV built in China.
October 11: Shanghai GM sold its 1 millionth vehicle in China in 2012.
October 12: Shanghai OnStar announced that it had supported its customers in China
more than 1 million times during the “Golden Week” holiday.
October 17: SAIC-GM-Wuling began construction of the second phase of its Qingdao
Engine Capacity Expansion Project, which will add 175,000 units of capacity.
October 18: GM showcased the achievements of the first phase of the GM Restoring
Nature’s Habitat Project at the Changdao National Nature Reserve in Shandong.
October 29: Shanghai OnStar became the first telematics service provider in China
with 500,000 subscribers.
November 7: Shanghai GM began construction of an aftersales distribution center in
Chongqing.
November 10: The 2012 GM China Consumer Fuel Saving Challenge concluded in
Fujian, its sixth stop.
November 18: SAIC-GM-Wuling opened its new passenger car production base during
the celebration of its 10th anniversary in Liuzhou, Guangxi.
4
November 22: Shanghai GM introduced the Sail SPRINGO EV at Auto Guangzhou
2012.
November 28: SAIC-GM-Wuling announced that it plans to build a third manufacturing
base in Chongqing.
November 29: GM China hosted its second annual Tech Day event in Shanghai and
officially opened the second phase of the GM China Advanced Technical Center.
December 6: GM announced that it set a new annual vehicle sales record in China.
December 10: GM China launched the Safe Kids in the Car Project in cooperation with
Safe Kids Worldwide (China) to highlight the importance of using child safety seats and
show parents how to use child restraint systems.
December 13: GM China took more than 20 media volunteers to the Guangxi Naman
Rural Hospital to assist with the delivery of free health care to local residents.
December 22: GM China launched the Safe Driving School in Shenyang to highlight
vehicle safety technologies and the importance of proper driving habits under various
weather conditions.
December 28: Shanghai OnStar introduced an electric vehicle mobile app for the
Chevrolet Volt and Sail SPRINGO EV.
5