Ford, GM and Jeep are dead in China —even if their executives can't or won't admit it.
Complacency kills. And smugness was no small part of what happened to Detroit in China. For decades, they knew nothing but growth and profits. GM, Ford and Jeep — along with their Chinese JV partners — grew convinced of two eternal truths: First, Chinese consumers would forever prefer foreign car brands like Buick, Chevy and Ford over the Chinese offerings. And second, gasoline-powered vehicles would be dominant until kingdom come.
As things turned out, they were wrong on both counts.
Bureaucratic confusion also played a role.
When Chinese demand for EVs started its explosive growth in 2020, the Detroit 3 were caught flat-footed and without products.
Detroit's fall was also part of a grand Chinese plan. Detroit automakers had served their purpose, bringing advanced technology and processes to China. Now that China had what it needed, Detroit was being shown the exits.
The Chinese were biding their time, waiting for the moment when they could emerge independent and triumphant, leaving the joint venture behind.
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