The factory lights in Shenyang once went dark. Now, they’re flickering back to life.

In Shenyang, there’s a massive car plant that once symbolized the golden era of GM in China.

Half a million vehicles could roll off its lines each year — Buick GL8s, Chevrolet Trackers — feeding a market that once couldn’t get enough of American cars.

But times changed.

GM’s sales in China fell from 2 million units in 2017 to just 500,000 in 2024.

The Shenyang Norsom plant, jointly owned with SAIC, shut its doors in February.

Now, a new chapter begins.

Geely is stepping in — not to build something from scratch, but to revive what’s already there.

Instead of pouring billions into new factories, Geely will use the existing site to produce clean energy vehicles.

It’s a quiet yet powerful statement.

While others chase expansion, Geely is betting on efficiency and pragmatism.

Geely Chairman Eric Li said it best earlier this year:

“The world already has serious overcapacity in car production.”

In the end, this isn’t just about a factory — it’s about mindset.

Where one automaker saw decline, another saw opportunity.

Where one era ended, another quietly begins — powered not by nostalgia, but by adaptation.

✍️ What do you think — is Geely setting a new playbook for the next phase of China’s auto industry?