GM wants Chevrolet to become a global powerhouse

General Motors will invest heavily in its Chevrolet label in an effort to sell more Chevy-branded vehicles outside the US than it does domestically. The hope is to make Chevrolet a global brand like Toyota or Volkswagen, and GM’s vice president for global sales, John Middlebrook, predicts that it’s only a matter of time until it happens.

Last year, Chevrolet sales totaled 4.3 million units worldwide, with 2.8 million, or 65% of its vehicles sold in the US. If it can maintain its current rate of sales in the US, and increase global sales to 50% of its annual output, then Chevrolet would truly be a global player, potentially selling up to 6 million vehicles. Individual models would be fine-tuned to suit specific markets, but a single brand-image or identity would remain. “It's what BMW has done,” said industry analyst Rebecca Lindland during an interview with the Detroit Free Press.

The largest market for Chevrolet outside of the US is currently Latin America, which accounts for 87% of its non-US sales, but there are plans to expand the brand and establish its identity in Europe and Asia. GM definitely has a tough task on its hands. Close to 90% of Europeans know the Chevrolet brand, but only 3% know anything about its cars, a trend that seems to be repeated in most other markets.