SAIC and GM to jointly develop new EV platform

Gasgoo.com (Shanghai September 21) - New energy vehicles haven't been catching on in the country as some may have hoped, with technology becoming the key point behind such vehicles. In response to this situation, SAIC and General Motors made a joint announcement yesterday that they would be cooperating on a new electric vehicle platform, China Business News reported today. This marks the second time that the two companies have joined hands to develop new energy vehicle technology, and the first time a Chinese manufacturer has teamed up with a foreign enterprise to develop a platform of such nature.

In 2010, SAIC brought out the Roewe 750 hybrid (pictured below), which would purportedly cut gasoline usage by 20 percent. The manufacturer will also be bringing out new plug-in style electric hybrid and pure electric cars that will cut fuel costs by half.

According to SAIC, both sides will share the technology and market experience gained from developing the new platform to help accelerate the industrialization of electric vehicles while decreasing their costs. SAIC President Chen Hong was quoted as saying that the two sides will begin their global development at the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center.