“The Shanghai and Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell vehicles will be featured in the most extensive fuel cell demonstration program ever conducted in China. This follows the government’s call for the creation of a sustainable transportation system,” GM Asia Pacific president Nick Reilly said in a press release.
The development of the Shanghai Brand Fuel Cell Vehicle was done in the purest GM style: take technology developed for another vehicle, put it onto a new platform, rebadged it and then released onto the numb market. The company's crisscrossed their engineers, as the Chinese ones were sent to Germany and GM's "have been co-located at SAIC facilities in China" for the development of the vehicles.
The result of this maze? A "new" vehicle, using the same 700 bar high-pressure hydrogen fuel cell system adopted in the Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell. In essence, a rebadged Equinox. Only ten Shanghai Brand Fuel Cell Vehicles will be built, joining the existing 100 Equinox units.
Why? Because “GM supports China’s move toward sustainability, and we are providing our latest fuel cell technology in line with our overall strategy of in China, with China, for China,” as Reilly says. Right...
Actually GM hopes China will become one of the first markets for the Chevrolet Volt in 2011. And it also hangs on desperately to the Chinese mainland, as it is the only market which doesn't show signs of imminent death. And rumor has it the Chinese might get Opel off GM's hands... And Saab...
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