On June 21, a reliable source within the company told CarNewsChina that the China-US joint venture SAIC-GM expects their new electric SUV Buick Electra E4 to reach 5,000 units of monthly sales within three months. The person is not authorized to speak with the media and thus wants to stay anonymous, but CNC knows its identity.
GM also predicts all-electric car sales in China will hit 10,000 units/month by September. Aside from 5k units of E4, that includes 3k of Buick’s first electric SUV Electra E5 and 2k units of Buick Velitte.
In the last 12 months, from June 2022 to May 2023, Buick achieved 41,087 electric vehicle sales in China, and the Velitte 6 model contributed to an impressive 96% of these sales. Furthermore, these EV sales account for approximately 6.8% of Buick’s overall sales in China, highlighting the growing significance of EVs in Buick’s market presence.
In 2022, Buick delivered over 644,000 cars in China, with 37,475 being electric Velite 6 and the rest being ICE cars. Velite was joined by Buick E5 in April and delivered 1031 units in April and May.
Buick Electra E4 was launched in China on June 20, with prices ranging from 189,900 yuan to 259,900 yuan (26,400 USD to 36,200 USD); deliveries will start later in July. E4 is built on GM’s Ultium platform, and the dimensions are 4818mm in length, 1912mm in width, and 1581mm in height, with a wheelbase of 2954mm.
Regarding power options, the Buick E4 chooses between two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The two-wheel drive variant has a single motor that can generate a maximum output power of 150kW, supported by a 65kWh battery pack. This combination allows for a CLTC cruising range of 530km.
On the other hand, the four-wheel drive model is outfitted with a dual motor system, providing a combined maximum output power of 211 kW (283 HP) – 143kW for the front motor and 68kW for the rear engine. It is accompanied by an 80kWh battery pack, enabling a CLTC cruising range of 620km.
Editor’s comment
I have to say GM is doing a great job in China against all odds. They push hard for electric transition, focusing on Cadillac Lyriq sales, being part of SGMW, a joint venture with SAIC and Wuling, which produce Wulign Mini EV, Wuling Bingo or Baojun Yep, and Buick is no exception. The legacy American brand still has some sparkle in China, and, despite Buick ICE sales slowly decreasing, GM is ready to use all brand power it has left to promote its EVs, as there are still customers who see Buick as an American-quality synonym. The specs of E4 and E5 are fair enough, and pricing is highly competitive. But will it be enough in the ultra-competitive Chinese market? We will keep an eye on that.
