Manufacture of Chevrolet Onix Cars Launched in Kazakhstan

March 14th marked the official beginning of CKD manufacture of Chevrolet Onix cars at the Allur plant in Kostanay, Kazakhstan. The launch was attended by Kanat Sharlapaev Minister of Industry and Construction of Kazakhstan and managers from both General Motors and UzAuto Motors, the Uzbek company that manufactures and sells Chevrolet cars in Uzbekistan. The opening was the long-awaited result of an agreement drawn up with General Motors and signed by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in December 2022. The Kazakh plant will produce 30, 000 vehicles per annum. State of the art robotic laser welding technology will ensure that manufacture meets General Motors' standards, and a plastic painting workshop, again featuring modern robotic equipment, is currently under construction. Work is also underway to establish the country's first Localization Centre for auto component production. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Minister Sharlapaev stated that collaboration with leading global manufacturer General Motors would dynamically spur the development of Kazakhstan’s automotive industry. Shilpan Amin, president of General Motors International, also applauded the initiative, saying, “We have managed to increase production to 50,000 vehicles per year. Kazakhstan now ranks seventh worldwide in terms of Chevrolet market size. This is a testament to our successful partnership.”