GM
General Motors has taken another step in its electrification plans, unveiling a new Ultium-powered electric sedan concept for the Chinese market, which it dubs the Chevrolet FNR-XE Concept(image above).
The new model debuted on Tuesday in Shanghai during GM's China Tech Day 2022. The company revealed during the event that it plans to launch more than 15 new all-electric vehicles by 2025 in China.
The company broke the news that it plans to launch a new five-seater SUV for its Buick brand in China, with deliveries starting in mid-2023. It will also use Ultium technology.
“With our disruptive technologies coming to life, we are seeing the most profound and immense transformation ever in the automotive industry,” said Mary Barra, GM president and CEO, in a statement. “GM is determined to lead the transformation and ultimately create a better, safer and more sustainable world for our customers and generations to come.”
While the company is largely out of the “automobile” business in the United States, with the exception of the Corvette and Camaro, this is not the case in other markets, especially China. The FNR-XE Concept was developed in China through the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC) in Shanghai.
The new sedan aims to set the tone for Chevy's EV design language for the market and starts with lots of sharp angles, giving it an aggressive look. The front end features a large horizontal bar giving it some width, while the lower half of the front panel features what appears to be sculpted air intakes, likely to provide some cooling for the brakes, situated on either side of a faux grille. . The design makes the car look low and sportier.
Running down the side of the car, its wide hips at the rear are hard to ignore, which adds to the four-door model's athletic appearance. The rear mimics the look of the front with brake lights that span the width of the vehicle. No other details about the FNR-XE Concept were offered.
The brand essentially just played around with what was to come, offering just an image of the Ultium skateboard with a blue outline of what appears to be a crossover or small SUV. However, the new model is expected to usher in a new approach for the brand in China.
First, the vehicle will feature a lot of technology, including the enhanced driver assistance technology of Super Cruise as well as the new generation Virtual Cockpit System, jointly developed by GM and PATAC.
Buick's new EV models in China will be managed with innovative sales and marketing services. By the end of 2023, up to 58 Buick EV City Showrooms will open nationwide and more than 600 Buick NEV Zones will open across the Buick dealership network, the company noted.
In addition, the brand is creating dedicated Buick charging facilities and partnering with leading third-party charging operators to make more than 400,000 chargers available across China by the end of 2023.
Ultium investment coming to the fore...The new Chevy and two Buicks are the first offerings in China that will utilize GM's acclaimed Ultium technology. GM bills it as the industry's "first hyperscale EV platform." The platform allows the automaker to design and manufacture a variety of vehicles.
The technology has been heavily promoted by GM, especially in recent months as it begins to make its way into a variety of GM electric vehicles, including the Cruise Origin AV and BrightDrop commercial vehicles.
“GM is accelerating the introduction of Ultium-powered EVs in China to support the market move toward an all-electric future,” said Julian Blissett, GM executive vice president and president, GM China(image above). “Through global collaboration and local integration, we are delivering a transformative experience with real benefits to our customers through zero-emission driving.”
Michael Strong, Detroit-USA
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