'Absolutely': GM President Says It's Preparing For Chinese Competition In America

"I have a rule these days when I'm interviewing high-ranking car executives: I always ask if they're preparing for a day when their company has to compete with BYD or some other Chinese automaker here in America. Nobody really likes to answer this question head-on. I usually get some convoluted non-answer that involves tariff policy, trade parity or securing "an even playing field" with car companies that have an enormous advantage with lower labor costs and government subsidies."

"President Mark Reuss didn't flinch when he spoke to the Plugged-In Podcast this week, and when I asked if GM is getting ready for that day too: "Absolutely," he said. "For sure." That's a candid admission, but Reuss said that GM's plan isn't to play catch-upit's to get ahead. "At the end of the day, the R&D and technology investments in our company are the way to compete," Reuss said. "We can't go and copy the way they do things. We have to be better.""

"An engineer with an MBA, he's had a storied career at GM overseeing just about every area of the company and launching some of its most crucial and groundbreaking products. He had a lot to say this episode about GM's battery strategy, and why its new lithium manganese-rich (LMR) batteries are key to competing with China's carmakers; why the new 2027 Chevy Bolt is a big deal, and what comes next for affordable EVs;"

General Motors is actively preparing to compete with Chinese automakers by focusing on research, development, and technology investments rather than copying competitors' low-cost approaches. GM places central emphasis on battery strategy, specifically new lithium manganese-rich (LMR) batteries, as a key competitive element. The company highlights the 2027 Chevy Bolt as an important vehicle for expanding affordable electric-vehicle offerings. Leadership stresses continued investment in R&D across batteries, motors, and software to enable differentiation and potential future electric performance models. GM recognizes the need to balance ambitious EV plans with production and market realities.

Read at insideevs.com