General Motors could produce the plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt in South Korea through its local unit, says GM Korea’s vice president of vehicle sales, service and marketing, Ankush Arora. According to the Wall Street Journal, Arora spoke at a press briefing late last week and stated:
As far as producing the Volt in Korea is concerned, there is no such plan. But if global demand for the model surges, the company may consider rolling out the Chevrolet Volt in South Korea.
On a related note, GM Korea is currently conducting a study on consumer sentiment, road conditions and infrastructure in South Korea, and will eventually decide whether or not to launch the Volt in South Korea. Arora apparently told the WSJ that:
We have not fixed any timing for the launch of the Volt. It’s too early for us to comment whether Korea will be the first Asian market or the second Asian market [after China in which we will] launch the Volt.
In 2010, GM Korea posted a net profit of $543 million and General Motors holds a 76.9 percent stake in GM Korea, a manufacturing base for several Kei cars and subcompact vehicles.
[Source: Wall Street Journal]
