Emerging Markets

Shanghai surprise Shanghai Auto 2009 showed evidence of an approaching maturity and new business-driven thinking among the Chinese OEMs. With new brands, and increasingly modern safety content, China is gearing up for the next decade not only to dominate the domestic market but also to spearhead its entry into volume exports to developed markets. Read full story

Viva Manuchakian! The veteran head of engineering for GM’s LAAM operation, Pedro Manuchakian, has built a product-development powerhouse that is key to GM’s global growth. Read full story

China provides energetic boost to hybrid and alternative fuel vehicle development Despite the global economic downturn, China has reached deep into its pockets to further encourage its domestic car manufacturers in their hybrid and alternative fuel vehicle development. The government has invested almost $1.5 billion to put 1000 such vehicles in each of 13 major urban areas in a highly visible public demonstration. Read full story

BYD plans to plug in to America On cue, alternative-powered vehicles boasting plug-in hybrid, pure-electric, and hydrogen fuel-cell capability from the world’s largest and most well-known automakers took center stage at January’s Detroit auto show. But while those advanced-technology vehicles appeared in concept or prototype form, a Chinese company better known as a cell-phone battery maker showed off its recently launched production plug-in hybrid, the F3DM. Read full story