SAIC-GM-Wuling has broken ground for its new R&D centre and proving ground in Liuzhou, Guangxi. The facilities, which are adjacent to the joint venture’s Baojun passenger car production base, will support the development of new vehicles for China.

The 376,000-square-metre R&D centre is being built in four phases. Phase I will include an advanced noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) lab and environmental simulation lab. Phase II will have experimental facilities for parts, materials and structures for electrical devices. Phase III will feature testing facilities for engines, emission systems, safety systems and new energy vehicles. Phase IV will have testing facilities for complete vehicles and a modeling centre. The R&D centre is scheduled to open in December 2018.

The 853,000-square-metre proving ground will support the evaluation of chassis performance, dynamic performance, NVH, powertrain performance and corrosion resistance. It is expected to be completed by December 2016.

SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile Co (SAIC-GM-Wuling), which was set up on November 18, 2002, in which SAIC has a 50.1 percent stake, GM China a 44.0 percent stake and Wuling Motors a 5.9 percent stake. Based in Liuzhou, Guangxi, in southwestern China, has a second manufacturing base in Qingdao, Shandong. In 2012, SAIC-GM-Wuling opened its new passenger car production facility near its headquarters in Liuzhou and announced plans to build a third production base in Chongqing Municipality. SAIC-GM-Wuling manufactures a range of Wuling brand mini-trucks and minivans as well as a growing family of Baojun brand passenger cars. In 2013, SAIC-GM-Wuling sold a record 1,584,920 units in the domestic market.

At present, GM has 10 joint ventures, two wholly owned foreign enterprises and more than 58,000 employees in China. Passenger cars and commercial vehicles are sold under the Baojun, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Jiefang, Opel and Wuling brands. In 2013, GM sold nearly 3.2 million vehicles in China.

Image: Aerial panorama of Shanghai GM/ PATAC Guangde Proving Ground.