GM and SAIC renew 20-year venture to export Buick EVs

General Motors and its longtime Chinese partner, SAIC Motor, have signed a 20-year renewal of their pivotal joint venture, committing to a future where China becomes a global engineering and export hub for the American automaker's electric and hybrid vehicles. The agreement, signed on August 5, 2026, extends the SAIC-GM partnership through 2047 and signals a strategic deepening of GM's presence in China even as it restructures its local operations.

The renewed 50-50 venture will sharpen its focus exclusively on the Buick and Cadillac brands within China, with Chevrolet exiting the domestic retail market. Chevrolet-branded vehicles will continue to be manufactured in China but will be designated solely for export to markets outside the United States, Canada, and Europe. The joint venture plans to launch at least 30 new energy vehicles-including pure electric, plug-in hybrid, and extended-range models-by 2030, developed primarily on Chinese platforms and software.

A central pillar of the strategy is to leverage China's supply chain and engineering capabilities to produce vehicles for global export. John Roth, GM's senior vice president and president of GM China, stated the company...