Chevrolet Leaves China

Chevrolet is pulling out of China after 21 years, ending sales in a market where it once moved 760,000 vehicles a year and sold 7.5 million cars over time. The main reason is competition: electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles now make up 63 percent of China's car sales, and Chevrolet has very few electric models to offer there. Rather than compete, General Motors is walking away from the Chevrolet brand in China entirely.

This isn't a full GM retreat, though. The company will keep building cars in China through its joint venture with SAIC Motor, just not for sale in China or the US — those cars will go to other export markets instead. GM and SAIC also just renewed their partnership for another 20 years, through 2047, one of the longest such deals in the industry, and they plan to launch at least 30 new electric and hybrid models by 2030. That effort will focus mainly on GM's Cadillac and Buick brands rather than Chevrolet.

For homeowners in the US, this is really a story about global car competition rather than anything that changes what's available in American showrooms right now. Chevrolet isn't leaving the US market, and this news doesn't affect any electric vehicle incentives, rebates, or models sold domestically. It's a sign of how far ahead China's electric vehicle market has pulled compared to Western brands trying to keep up there.