Why is Buick the EV Focus for GM?

There are several brands under the GM umbrella that makes it possible for you to have the right vehicle to drive and this name has even been at the front of the EV movement with the Chevrolet Bolt EV that was intruded at the end of 2016. As this EV has been one of the most impressive models offered, and it’ssold in strong numbers already, GM is looking to Buick as the brand that will likely be the one to lead the way into the EV markets with more models.

You might think one of the reasons that Buick is the brand that GM will choose is because of the premium name, but that’s certainly not the case. The GM team has proven its ability to create an affordable EV that can fit into nearly every budget with the Bolt EV. Instead, the Buick brand could be the right one for the future of the EV models under the GM umbrella because of a simpler reason which has to do with the popularity of the brand in a market that takes it across the Pacific Ocean and into another area of the world.

The Chinese Influence

Over the past several years, the Buick name has become one of the most popular on the market in China. This brand has grown in this country to the point of GM adding a production plant in the country to build the Buick Envision, which is the first domestic model to be built overseas and sold in the US. Buick has a strong presence in China and the different automakers that are part of this market are able to offer a variety of models that can be right for this heavily populated area that is making a move toward EV models.

There are already strict emissions regulations in China and they are only getting more stringent in the future. In fact, in the next couple years, there will be a requirement to have a specific number of models sold from each brand that is offered with zero-emissions technology, which will grow the next year. Because of this, Buick is working to offer a selection of hybrid and EV models that can fill the need to meet this requirement in China, which will translate to more EV models being offered in the North American market as well.

Once Buick is successful with the EV and hybrid models on the market in China, we’ll likely see the developments make their way into a variety of other models under the GM umbrella. We already expect to see up to twenty new EV models offered by 2023 across the brands that fall into this family. While you might expect a small-midsize sedan like the Buick Verano would be a candidate for an EV trial, it could actually be a selection from the current Buick SUV family. In fact, it’s likely we’ll have Buick SUV models that have EV or hybrid systems to make it easier to have lower emissions and still enjoy the power needed as some of the first models that will come from the Buick name for your drive.