GM achieves record sales
July 2, 2009
A worker walks amidst newly-produced cars at the parking lot of a General Motors factory in Shanghai June 2, 2009. General Motors Corp said on Tuesday it will need to build another China plant in the next five years if it is to meet a goal of selling 2 million cars in China within five years. REUTERS/Aly Song (CHINA BUSINESS TRANSPORT)
GM’s sales rose 38 percent to a record high during the first half of the year of 2009. This seems shocking to anyone who has heard about the bailouts of the auto industry or other financial problems facing the automakers. While the auto industry is struggling at best here in the United States, it is flourishing in China. With growing rural markets and small-vehicle sales, boosted by the Chinese government’s stimulus package, GM is planning to report record numbers.
GM sold a record 814,442 vehicles in the first six months, in large part due to its Wuling minivans, Buick sedans and its new compact car, the Chevrolet Cruze. GM’s minivan venture posted an increase of 49.9 percent in sales to a record 524,598 vehicles in the first six months.
Total vehicle sales in China are expected to increase by 17 percent this year from 2008 while auto sales in the United States are expected to fall by 13 percent during 2009.
-Daniel Smart
