After Obama bails out GM with American money, GM to outsource more jobs to China

A billion dollars of American taxpayer money being used to build a giant tech-center in China so more jobs can be outsourced from America to China

The second phase of the General Motors China Advanced Technical Center, the most-comprehensive advanced automotive technology development center in China, remains on track to open in the second half of 2012.

Adjacent to the GM China International Operations and GM China Headquarters in Shanghai, the second phase of the two-phase ATC will focus on advanced design, vehicle engineering, advanced powertrain development, urban mobility and manufacturing processes. Construction began in late summer and is about one-fourth complete.

It will complement the first phase of the ATC, the Advanced Materials Laboratory, which opened in September and is engaged in research and development of battery cells and lightweight materials. GM China's new battery testing facility is fully operational, with commissioning and correlation tests finished. The lab has been carrying out testing of different submissions from selected Chinese battery suppliers. Completion of testing is targeted for the first quarter of next year, after which the submissions will be put through GM’s rigorous global battery qualification process.

“The establishment of the ATC is proof of GM's commitment to advanced technology leadership," said GM China Group President and Managing Director Kevin Wale. “Our local team is cooperating with GM teams around the globe to come up with solutions for sustainable development that will benefit China and the world."

The 65,000-square-meter ATC will serve as the home of four key GM technical and design organizations: the China Science Lab, Vehicle Engineering Lab, Advanced Powertrain Engineering Lab and Advanced Design Center. When complete it will include 62 test labs and nine research labs, and have more than 300 employees, including engineers, designers, researchers and technicians.

In November, the ATC hosted the first GM Global Research and Development Symposium. Sixteen world-leading experts from academic institutions, industry and government organizations presented their cutting-edge research findings. The activity attracted more than 150 professors, researchers, engineers and graduate students as well as representatives from GM’s joint ventures and suppliers.

General Motors traces its roots back to 1908. GM has 11 joint ventures, two wholly owned foreign enterprises and more than 35,000 employees in China. GM and its joint ventures offer the broadest lineup of vehicles and brands among automakers in China. Passenger cars and commercial vehicles are sold under the Baojun, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Jiefang, Opel and Wuling brands. In 2010, GM sold more than 2.35 million vehicles in China, which represented 28.8 percent growth over the prior year. It has been the sales leader among global automakers in the market for six consecutive years. More information on General Motors in China can be found at GM Media Online.